FWIW - As to bumper safety - My pediatrician was fine with crib bumpers. And their group is super conservative - i.e. recommending rear facing in the car seat until age 2 (asks at every appt if LO is still rear-facing). If my LO did not have some sort of bumper, we would have more issues, since he is constantly sleeping against the side of the crib. They do make breathable bumpers and some bumpers are thinner than others...
Like many controversial topics, I think this is one that people need to choose based on what their peds recommend and what they feel is right for them. I have seen studies that show both that crib bumpers are perfectly safe and that they are not. By the time my LO could move enough to be against the bumper, he was also able to move his head away from the bumper....