Sleep Safety Tips from Safe Kids Worldwide

Unintentional suffocation is the leading cause of injury-related death among children under 1 year of age. Nearly three-quarters of suffocation deaths among infants are from accidental suffocation or strangulation in bed.

Make Sure Your Crib Is Up-to-Date

• Check that your crib meets safety standards of the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and the Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association (JPMA), and make sure it has all the right pieces.
• If you can fit a can of soda between the slats of a crib, that means a child’s head, hand or foot could get stuck.
• If the sides go down, don’t use the crib.
• Don’t use stuffed animals, bumpers or accessories in a baby’s crib. A firm mattress covered with a tight-fitting crib sheet is all you need.
• Corner posts of the crib should not stick up more than one-sixteenth of an inch. It doesn’t seem like much, but anything more can be risky.
• Make sure there are no design cutouts in the headboard or footboard.
• If your crib doesn’t meet CPSC standards, don’t use it.
• If you are getting a used crib, check to see if it has been recalled at www.recalls.gov.

Help Your Baby Sleep Safely

• Lay your baby on his or her back to reduce the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).
• If you’re worried about keeping your baby warm, try using a sleepsack (wearable blanket).
• Babies should not sleep on beds, sofas, recliners, chairs, soft surfaces, bouncy chairs or baby swings. If this happens, make sure to return your baby to a safe sleep environment.
• Soft bedding, stuffed animals, baby bumpers and accessories can block a baby’s airway during sleep. A firm mattress covered with a tight-fitting crib sheet is all you need to make your baby sleep like a baby.
• Learn CPR.

For more information like this, visit www.safekids.org.