Pediatricians will soon warn parents of crib bumper pads dangers
Every five years, the Academy updates its policies that serve as guidelines to practicing pediatricians. The most recent revisions warn against the usage of any crib bumper pads, a change from previous suggestions that only “pillow-like” pads were dangerous for children, language that was confusing at best for consumers.
A recent Chicago Tribune article reviewed the Academy’s revisions. While there is still no direct evidence that crib bumper pads are the sole cause of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), they have been present in many reported cases. The Academy feels that the lack of evidence suggesting the bumper pads alone are the problem does not outweigh the dangers; its guidelines follow the ‘better safe than sorry’ principle.
Crib bumpers were introduced to prevent children from getting their limbs stuck between crib slats. Since the 1970s, crib standards have changed. No crib produced after 1970 has slats wide enough for a child’s head to fit through, thus causing brain damage, strangulation and often death. After this, crib bumpers being used as a safety feature switched from safety to aesthetic. The crib bumpers became the newest danger.
Read my previous blog posts about crib bumper pad safety:
- New Crib Safety Standards Now in Effect
- Crib Bumpers: A Continuing Case for Concern
- Child Safety Petition: Crib Bumpers
SIDS can be categorized in many ways including suffocation, entrapment, and asphyxia. SIDS cases are reported involving crib bumper pads because children do not have the motor skills or strength to pull their heads and faces away from the soft pillow-y pads while sleeping. As a result, they lose oxygen flow and pass in their sleep. Do not risk your child’s life at the sake of matching bed sets in the nursery. Follow the ABC’s of child sleep:
- A: Babies should sleep Alone
- B: Babies should sleep on their Backs
- C: Babies should sleep in a Crib
Follow the tips from this and older blog posts, the ABC’s of sleep and talk to your pediatrician about other ways to keep your children safe at night.
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Photo credit: jessicafm
Related posts:
- Crib Safety: Bumper Pad Bans
- Crib Bumpers: a continuing cause for concern
- Crib Bumpers: a nursery danger you can stop
- Child Safety Petition: Crib Bumpers
- New Crib Safety Standards Now in Effect!
