crib bumpers

[sntm]

i haven't seen this personally but the medical examiner's office i rotated through in med school had crime scene investigators who had seen that before. they actually had a weighted doll they used to differentiate between suffocation and smothering and showed me how a baby could wedge his/her face into the crack between a bumper and the mattress.

weaving the bumper through would not help as the part that was inside is still a suffocation risk (well, maybe it would cut the risk in half as half would now be outside)

again, i'm not a pediatrician but i wholeheartedly agree with the Fields that the second your child can move around in the bed, or if you have him or her on an angled bed (where he/she could potentially slip down when doing normal baby wiggling) TAKE THE BUMPER OFF!


(DR.) shannon
not-even-pregnant-yet-overachiever

[jes97003]

And just one more thought to add to the mix. Our pediatrician recommends a thin bumper for infants--they've dealt with too many cases of little ones getting arms and legs stuck between crib slats, twisting about and breaking bones.

[ErinP]

Pottery barn makes a nice thin bumber that has a lot of ties. We needed this for the first 8 months because my daughter was constantly kicking her legs in her sleep. We made sure ALL the ties were secure whenever we put her in the crib. We took it down when she started to pull up. If your baby doesn't move much than it doesn't seem worth the risk to use them. A friend of mine got these really neat hangers from pottery barn and hung hers on the wall (not above the crib!) It looks so adorable and unique! That's an option for all those who think they're so cute, but want to be safe!
Erin

[sntm]

I've heard of plenty of cases of bruising from limbs getting caught but the likelihood that a baby could break their own arm or leg is EXTREMELY unlikely. They just cannot generate the force necessary. I even talked with my friend who is a pediatric resident now, to make sure I hadn't forgotten things from med school. A broken leg or arm in a non-ambulatory baby is 1) child abuse 2) child abuse 3)child abuse and then indicates a work-up for congenital disease like "brittle bone"

If your only worry is broken bones, that is not a reason to have a crib bumper. And definitely avoid the big, overstuffed, pillow-like bumpers -- you'd might as well put a plastic bag in!

shannon
not-even-pregnant-yet-overachiever

[22tango]

We were told at our pre-natal class that bumpers were only necessary before they changed the rules about how far the slats should be. We were strongly recommended NOT to use them. Pretty they may be, but they are still a suffocation risk! Better bruises than that!!