For infants under 12 months of age, follow these practices to reduce the risk of SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome) and prevent suffocation:
- Place baby on his/her back in a crib with a firm, tight-fitting mattress.
- Do not put pillows, quilts, comforters, sheepskins, pillow-like bumper pads or pillow-like stuffed toys in the crib.
- Consider using a sleeper instead of a blanket.
- If you do use a blanket, place baby with feet to foot of the crib. Tuck a thin blanket around the crib mattress, covering baby only as high as his/her chest.
- Use only a fitted bottom sheet specifically made for crib use.
Make sure the crib sheet fits snugly on a crib mattress and overlaps the mattress so it cannot be dislodged by pulling on the corner of the sheet, and Never use an adult sheet on a crib mattress; it can come loose and present an entanglement hazard to young children. When traveling, bring a crib sheet with you! A Hotel/motel housekeeping crew may not be aware of this special need and use an adult sheet on the crib!
Check Your Crib for Safety
There should be:-
A firm, tight-fitting mattress so a baby cannot get trapped between the mattress and the crib.
- No missing, loose, broken or improperly installed screws, brackets or other hardware on the crib or mattress support.
- No more than 2 3/8 inches (about the width of a soda can) between crib slats so a baby's body cannot fit through the slats; no missing or cracked slats.
- No corner posts over 1/16th inch high so a baby's clothing cannot catch.
- No cutouts in the headboard or foot board so a baby's head cannot get trapped.
For mesh-sided cribs or playpens, look for:- Mesh less than 1/4 inch in size, smaller than the tiny buttons on a baby's clothing.
- Mesh with no tears, holes or loose threads that could entangle a baby.
- Mesh securely attached to top rail and floor plate.
- Top rail cover with no tears or holes.
- If staples are used, they are not missing, loose or exposed.
- NEVER leave an infant in mesh-sided unit with Sides Down. Infant may roll into space between mattress and loose mesh side, causing suffocation.
