Baby will spend much of its time in the crib. This first "home" should be a cheerful and secure environment. Each year, about 50 babies suffocate or strangle when they become trapped between broken crib parts or in cribs with older, unsafe designs. Many older cribs do not meet all current safety standards. Even if you are on a tight budget, you should not purchase an old crib at a garage sale or accept a hand-me-down.
A safe crib should have:
No missing, loose, broken or improperly-installed screws, brackets or other hardware on the crib or the mattress support.
Crib slats or spindles should be spaced no more than 2 3/8" apart, and none should be loose or missing.
Never use a crib with corner posts over 1/16 of an inch above the end panels (unless they're over 16" high for a canopy). Babies can strangle if their clothes become caught on corner-posts. These should be screwed or sawed-off, and the remaining end panel should be sanded smooth.
The crib mattress should fit snugly with no more than two fingers width between the edge of the mattress and the crib. Otherwise, baby can get trapped between the mattress and the side of the crib.
Always keep the drop side up when baby is in the crib.
Never place your crib near a window, draperies, blinds or wall mounted decorative accessories with long cords because baby could become entangled in these.
No cutout areas on the headboard or footboard so a baby's head cannot get trapped.
No cracked or peeling paint to prevent lead poisoning.
No splinters or rough edges.
Baby is ready for the "big move" into a toddler or regular bed when he/she reaches a height of 35" or two years of age, whichever comes first.
