It's not enough to buy a crib from a major department or furniture store and assume it's safe. Sometimes fashion trumps function, or a drive to keep prices low allows cribs of inferior quality to slide through. Even if you do purchase a safe crib, it's still your obligation to make sure it's assembled correctly, placed in a safe spot and decorated with safe, appropriate bedding and accessories. If you're just starting your crib shopping adventures, pull out a tape measure and take your time making sure every detail is perfect.
Step 1
Measure the distance between the crib's slats or bars. The gap should be no larger than 2 3/8 inches, according to FamilyDoctor.org, or your baby risks getting a limb or head stuck between them.
Step 2
Run your finger along the finish to make sure it's sealed properly and has no splinters, peeling paint, chips or sharp corners. Check the manufacturing specs to verify that it was painted with lead-free paint, recommends HealthyChildren.org, and that the structure is free of gaps or loose components.
Step 3
Examine the head and foot panels to make sure they're solid and don't include decorative cutouts or scroll work. Cutouts and scroll work are prime places for your baby to get a head or hand stuck or injured.
Step 4
Stick your finger between the mattress and crib wall. The area should feel snug, and you should have difficulty inserting a second finger width in there. Purchase a bigger mattress if yours leaves gaps larger than an inch or two, because babies can smother if they roll and wiggle into those gaps.
Step 5
Purchase a crib without drop-side rails. Several major recalls on drop-side cribs in 2009 and 2010 led the U.S. Congress to consider a drop-side crib ban. Babies can get their heads stuck, suffocate or have limbs severed if the drop side falls on its own or with help from a baby. Your baby can also fall out of a drop-side crib if the side gets lowered.
Step 6
Place only the bare essentials inside the crib. According to Consumer Reports, babies can use toys, bumpers, pillows and other objects to climb out of the crib. These items may also pose suffocation risks if your baby pulls them on top of her or rolls into or under them. Swaddle your baby tightly, or dress her in a sleep sack to minimize suffocation risk from blankets.
