   |
Crib Bumpers
Are Crib Bumpers safe to use?
There is a lot of debate and concern regarding crib bumpers recently. Crib bumpers are typically included as part of the package when you buy bedding for your baby’s crib. Crib bumpers are the piece that connects to the vertical railings in the crib and they are designed to prevent your baby from either hitting their head on the crib frame of prevent them from getting their hands, feet, head or limbs caught between the railings. There has been much concern lately as to whether they are actually safe. Crib bumpers originally became popular before regulations were passed that require all crib manufacturers to make cribs with railings no more than 3 inches apart. Parents today need to educate themselves well in order to decide if having a crib bumper installed in their child’s crib is something that they want or something to avoid altogether.
With the new manufacturing regulations, there really is no chance that a baby can get their head caught between the railings. Crib bumpers are now used to prevent the child from hitting their head or getting their limbs caught between the railings. They are also used for aesthetic purposes as many parents simply like the look of having a crib bumper that matches the rest of the bedding pattern and room décor.
Many medical companies have taken the stance that crib bumpers are a significant safety hazard for babies. They state that babies sleeping in cribs that have crib bumpers installed have a higher risk of suffocating because it is very easy for the baby to roll over and become stuck with their face pressed up against the crib bumper material. The people who take this stance also typically argue that the supposed benefit of protecting a baby from hitting its head against the railing is minor compared to the risk. A baby simply cannot hit its head hard enough to cause injury and no significant injury from getting its arm or leg caught between the railings is likely. An option that parents have who are concerned for their child’s safety but still want to have a crib bumper is to purchase one with breathable mesh material instead of one with thicker, unbreathable material.
The truth is that there is little to no evidence to support these well intentioned fears. If crib bumpers really were a significant safety risk to children, they would be pulled from the market and no longer be available for purchase. This not to say that there has never been a case where a child has been injured or killed while in a crib with a bumper installed, but when you look at the ratio of children who have slept in cribs with crib bumpers and have not had any issues with the number who have, the chances of there being a significant issue are miniscule. Far more children are injured or killed each year due to seat belts than crib bumpers, but there is not an outcry to ban seat belts, is there? A Washington University study found that over a 20 year period from 1985 – 2005, a total of 52 children were either killed or injured due to crib bumpers. Of course, those are tragic instances, so parents have to make their own determination when it comes to using a crib bumper with their children, and if the risk is worth it.