The Skinny on Buying a Baby Crib

There are many joys to welcoming a new baby into your home: the infectious laughter, the wide curious eyes drinking it all in; funny faces and gummy smiles; teeny toes and explorative little hands. Yes babies truly are little miracles…when they aren’t causing sleepless, howling nights, producing wretchedly foul diapers or pulling hair and poking eyes. And if America’s Funniest Home Video’s has taught us anything, they tend to execute many a frequent and powerful fist, t-ball bat or kick ball to the groin.

So why not try to eliminate all of your superfluous stress while you can by adequately preparing for the arrival of baby. The first thing you should do is order a crib. It’s important to know and understand all of the criteria for buying a crib and familiarize yourself with your own special needs. So take a minute and read through this easy to follow prep list; help to ease some of your pre-stress before the real stress begins:

The Skinny on Baby Cribs

First things first, your baby will probably be spending the majority of his or her time in the crib. Almost two thirds of their fresh little lives are spent sleeping, or at least trying to. Being a baby takes up a lot of energy. Learning and adjusting to a brand new world can make someone very sleeping so it’s important to have a safe and comfortable place to retire to.

It’s important that the slats on your crib are close enough together that your baby won’t be able to finagle his or her big, round head between them. It’s also very important not to put a crib near or next to a window, especially one with blinds or drapery. It’s possible for babies to strangle themselves with the cords on blinds or drapes, and there have been some tragic incidences where babies have pushed themselves through loose screens on windows. If the dimensions of a room prevent you from being able to avoid a crib near drapes or a window, a good way of eliminating the danger is using a clothes pin to gather up and cinch the cords at the top or cutting the cord in half, so that instead of a loop, you have two straight lines.

Finally, it’s a good idea to buy a crib that has adjustable railings so that you will be able to pick up your baby with ease. Many cribs today are made with railings that lower on both sides and even have storage drawers beneath the crib, for added convenience.

The Skinny on Safety

There are some crucial regulations that you should know before purchasing a crib; measurements and safety regulations that you should be sure to arm yourself with before you take on the daunting task of picking out a crib:

• The space between crib slats should be absolutely no more than 2 and 3/8 inches
• The drop sides must be, at the very least, 9 inches above the mattress support when in the lowered position
• When in the raised position, the top of the drop side must be at least 26 inches above the mattress support at its lowest position
• The standard crib size mattress (51 ¾ inches long by 27 ¾ inches wide) should fit snugly within the crib frame; if you can fit two fingers between the mattress and the frame than the mattress is too small and there is a chance that your baby could become dangerously stuck in this space

The Skinny on Everything Else

There is a little controversy surrounding whether or not baby bumpers (those soft pads that line the inside of a crib) are actually safe to have in a crib with your baby. They were originally considered a safety feature, preventing babies from being able to slip their heads between the rails and other dangers, however recently a growing number of organizations including the American Academy of Pediatrics have deemed them unsafe, and a hazard to your child’s safety.

Also, any crib made before 1973, in other words, any crib made before a rigid set of safety standards were solidified for baby cribs, are more likely to malfunction and pose a threat to your baby. Some organizations suggest that you try to avoid second hand cribs in general as used cribs are apparently the cause of over 50 infant deaths per year.

Finally, try to avoid decorative detail on cribs. Protruding pieces can break off and create choking hazards; as well, cut out designs along the side of the crib have been known to trap babies arms and legs causing physical injury.

So there you have it; an excellent jumping point from which to begin your search for the perfect crib. Make sure you visit the American Academy of Pediatrics website for a complete list of regulations and safety tips from the experts as well as the Consumer Product Safety Commission to get the lowdown on all of the brands you have been looking into.