Tips on Safety Proofing The Crib

Your baby’s crib is a magical place. A place for your little one to lay their weary head after hours of play, and a place where you can enjoy the peacefulness and serenity of those precious moments before your baby drifts off to sleep. But there are some very important decisions that need to be considered when it comes to baby’s crib safety.

The crib is your baby’s safe haven. A place for resting, sleeping and sometimes even for playing. But most of all, your baby will come to learn that the crib is a place of their own and that no harm will come to them here. It’s our job as parents to make sure this is the case.  The crib must be erected with special care, ensuring that all the bolts and screws are correctly installed and tightened as firmly as possible. Most furniture stores provide white glove service, with delivery and installation. It’s worth the fee to pay a professional to put your crib together properly.

When it comes to purchasing a mattress, it should be firm and tight fitting. There shouldn’t be any sagging or loose material and it should firmly fill the crib so that the baby can’t wriggle his or her arm or leg down the sides. Scientific sources recommend the purchase of a new mattress because this allows you to know the history of the mattress (none!) and also prevents dust mites and other hidden nasties creeping around inside.

Your child doesn’t need things such as baby pillows, faux fur blankets, toys or any other accessories placed into the crib. These pose a choking hazard, particularly to younger babies who aren’t able to reposition themselves if they come into contact with them. We always recommend that our faux fur blankets and our baby pillows never be placed in the crib with an infant. They look great outside the crib!

Bumpers have historically been used to protect baby’s head from injury and limbs from escaping the crib, but the American Pediatric Society now recommends “Bare is Best”, so all of our 4-piece baby bedding crib sets are “bumperless”. We use a rail cover, which is positioned some 18 inches above the mattress, as a beautiful alternative to bumpers. It also protects against teething down the road. However, the use of bumpers is a personal decision, and some decide to use them as baby reaches a certain age, or later during naptime to protect against that arm or leg coming through the crib rails. Therefore, we offer bumpers custom made. 

 At Liz and Roo, we have a variety of baby boy crib bedding, baby girl crib bedding, and gender neutral baby bedding that will meet all the needs of safety conscious parents and healthy sleeping babies. All of our crib bedding sets are designed with safety in mind. Plus, you can have fun with themed bedding that is safe, including nautical themed bumperless bedding, woodland themed bumperless bedding, and more.