I remember when we had our first child 12 years
ago, we couldn’t wait to decorate the nursery purchase the crib bedding. Although we knew we could not use the blanket
in the crib, the bumpers were part of the décor. Of course they also helped
prevent the baby from getting stuck between the slats of the crib, or bumping
their heads. Today, parents are urged
not to use bumpers or any soft/ loose items in the crib. Not even sleep positioners. Sleep positioners have been a very popular
item, whether your child has reflux, or just to hold them in position in the
crib.
Last week I saw articles all over, reporting on
the renewed FDA and Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) warnings. http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/11/21/officials-warn-against-baby-sleep-positioners/?partner=rssnyt&emc=rss
“As of Wednesday, the agency is explicitly
advising parents to stop using sleep positioners, and it has asked
manufacturers of the devices to submit clinical data showing that the benefits
of their products outweigh the risk of serious harm. In addition to avoiding
the devices, experts say, parents should keep things like pillows, comforters,
quilts and bumpers away from their infants and their cribs. Soft bedding can
increase the likelihood of a baby suffocating.” The American Academy of Pediatrics stated
their support of the FDA the CPSC warnings back in 2010. http://www.aap.org/en-us/about-the-aap/aap-press-room/pages/CPSC-FDA-Warning-on-Infant-Sleep-Positioners.aspx?nfstatus=401&nftoken=00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000&nfstatusdescription=ERROR%3a+No+local+token
Just because as adults we use
pillows when we sleep, does not mean that babies should have pillows. Babies are wiggly and will change their
position. Heed these warnings and find other ways, outside the crib to decorate.
Let’s keep all our children safe.
