Does soft bedding cause sudden unexpected infant death?
The study analyzed data from 4,929 cases of sudden unexpected infant death, or SUID, from 2011 to 2017. Soft bedding was associated with 72 percent of the cases. Very young infants are unable to move away from suffocation hazards that impair their ability to breathe.
When can I put my baby's crib in the caregiver's bedroom?
If possible, keep the baby's crib in the caregiver's bedroom for at least six months, preferably until the baby is 1 year old. SUID cases declined rapidly in the mid-1990s, thanks to a massive public health campaign called "Back to Sleep," which encouraged new parents to put newborns on their backs to sleep, rather than on their stomachs.
How many babies die of suid each year?
The CDC now reports that up to 3,500 babies die of SUID every year in the U.S. "We have not been able to engage our families effectively," said Dr. Sunah Hwang, an associate professor of pediatrics at the University of Colorado School of Medicine and a neonatologist at Children's Hospital Colorado.
How many deaths from crib bumpers in 2011?
Why do you put bumpers in a crib?
Why do babies die from suffocation?
Is a thick bumper safer than a plush bumper?
Is it safe to use a crib bumper?
About this website
How many babies die from mesh crib bumpers?
Over the past two decades, more than 80 babies have died due to padded crib bumpers, though there are likely more due to the difficulty in classifying the deaths, according to Oriene Shin, policy counsel for product safety at Consumer Reports.
Do crib bumpers cause SIDS?
Parents often use these bumper pads thinking they are increasing the safety of their child's crib. But, the warnings from safety agencies and advocacy groups are clear—crib bumpers are not safe. They pose risks for suffocation, strangulation, and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).
What age are crib bumpers safe?
Firstly, you shouldn't use bed bumpers for children younger than two years old (between 2 and 5 is optimal). Secondly, make sure there is no gap between the rail and the mattress the child is sleeping into. Fatalities can occur if the child slips into a gap between the mattress and the rail and suffocate.
Why do crib bumpers exist?
The idea is that they help protect babies from injuries, either by preventing them from getting stuck in the crib bars or from rolling or falling against the hard surface.
Is it OK for my 4 month old to sleep on his tummy?
Always place your baby on their back to sleep, not on the stomach or side. The rate of SIDS has gone way down since the AAP began recommending this in 1992. When babies consistently roll over from front to back and back to front, it's fine for them to remain in the sleep position they choose.
Are crib bumpers Safe 2022?
On May 16, 2022, the President signed into law the Safe Sleep for Babies Act of 2021, requiring that crib bumpers, “regardless of the date of manufacture, shall be considered a banned hazardous product” under the Consumer Product Safety Act (CPSA).
What can I use instead of a crib bumper?
Mesh Crib Liner. Mesh crib liners are the most common crib bumper alternative that people make use of. These are safer for your baby than the normal solid crib liners. The mesh design allows air to flow through and this significantly reduces the risk of suffocation.
How do I stop my baby from hitting his head in the crib?
Thankfully, there are quite a few solutions you can use for babies to prevent them from hitting their heads.1 Consider A Portable Co-Sleeper Or Bassinet.2 Mesh Bumper Pads.3 Start Them Off At The Bottom Of The Bed.4 Consider A Toddler Bed.5 Upgrade To A Twin Sized Bed With A Rail.6 Give Older Children A Pillow.More items...
Why do bumpers cause SIDS?
Bumper pads pose a risk of suffocation (if the baby rolls up against the pad and doesn't roll away), and strangulation (if the baby gets tangled in the bumper pad ties.)
How do you prevent SIDS in babies?
PreventionBack to sleep. ... Keep the crib as bare as possible. ... Don't overheat your baby. ... Have your baby sleep in in your room. ... Breast-feed your baby, if possible. ... Don't use baby monitors and other commercial devices that claim to reduce the risk of SIDS . ... Offer a pacifier. ... Immunize your baby.
Are crib bumpers safe after 6 months?
If you feel crib bumper pads are safe, they can be used when your baby is 6 months old and beyond. However, when he's able to pull himself up to stand, the bumpers must be removed, as he can use the crib bumper pads as an aid in trying to climb out of the crib.
How do I stop my baby from putting his legs in his crib?
The best thing you can do to keep your baby's legs from getting stuck in their crib is to use a sleep sack to contain their feet. Sleep sacks are wearable blankets that zip up around the baby's body and keep them snug and warm.
How many babies died from crib bumpers?
In total 48 babies' deaths were attributed to crib bumpers between 1985 and 2012. An additional 146 infants sustained injuries from the bumpers, including choking on the bumper ties or nearly suffocating.
What is a baby crib bumper?
Flip through a popular children's furniture catalog and you'll find baby cribs with bumpers — a padded piece of fabric that ties around the wooden slats, making the crib look cozy and cute. The problem, researchers say, is these bumpers can be deadly, because babies can get caught in the fabric and suffocate.
Why do babies need bumpers?
Bumpers were originally intended to stop babies from falling out of the crib; regulations now require the wooden slats to be narrower. Bumpers were also designed to prevent babies from bumping their heads or getting their arms and legs caught in the rails.
Why are crib bumpers banned?
To Reduce Infant Deaths, Doctors Call For A Ban Of Crib Bumpers. Babies have suffocated after being trapped in padded crib bumpers, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission. Babies have suffocated after being trapped in padded crib bumpers, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission.
What would happen if there were no bumpers?
In all of these instances, Scheers says, "If there were no bumper, the baby would not have died. ".
Which city banned crib bumpers?
In 2011, Chicago became the first city in the country to ban the sale of crib bumpers. And in 2013, Maryland also banned the sale of crib bumpers with two exceptions: mesh or breathable bumpers made of thin fabric that allow air to pass through, and vertical bumpers that wrap around each individual crib rail.
Has the number of deaths from crib bumpers increased?
He says things have gotten worse since then. Thach is one of the authors of a study, published Wednesday in The Journal of Pediatrics, that shows the number of deaths attributed to crib bumpers has increased significantly in recent years.
How many babies died from crib bumpers in 2012?
According to the new research, a review of CPSC data showed that 48 infant deaths from 1985-2012 were specifically attributed to crib bumpers. An additional 146 infants were involved in crib-bumper incidents from 1990-2012 in which the babies nearly suffocated, choked or were strangled. The mean age of death was 4.6 months, with an age range of one to 22 months. Documents reviewed included death certificates and autopsy, death scene and other investigative records.
Why do we need bumpers in cribs?
Originally designed to protect infants from slipping through crib slats, entangling their limbs in the gaps or bumping their heads, many parents consider bumpers as necessary safety precautions. However, since 1973, federal regulations have required that crib slats be narrow enough to prevent a baby’s head from going through the slats.
Which states have banned crib bumpers?
The study recommends the CPSC follow the lead of Maryland and Chicago by banning the sale of crib bumpers. The state of Maryland banned their sale in 2013; the city of Chicago did so in 2011.
Is there a federal regulation on crib bumpers?
There are no federal regulations regarding crib bumpers. In 2012, a voluntary industry standard was revised to improve crib-bumper safety by limiting the items’ thickness. And in 2013, the CPSC directed its staff to explore rule-making options, suggesting change, but it has not resulted in any federal action.
Is the number of crib bumper deaths and injuries larger than what is known?
And alarmingly, the researchers report, the lack of data gathered on crib-bumper deaths and injuries over the decades suggests that the actual number of related deaths and injuries is likely much larger than what is now known.
Is a crib bumper safe?
Infant deaths and injuries occurred with thick pillow-like bumpers and thin bumpers, the latter of which some manufacturers have touted as being safer than plush ones. Newer mesh bumpers and vertical bumpers that wrap crib slats were not included in the study because there is little information about such items yet. “They should still be watched,” said Thach. “Crib bumpers serve no purpose.”
If Crib Bumpers Are Unsafe, Why Are They Still Sold?
Contrary to popular belief, in most cases federal regulators do not have the authority to recall unsafe products without a company’s cooperation. With an estimated 1.2 million sets of crib bumpers sold in the United States in 2018 alone, it is not surprising that some manufacturers irresponsibly continue to put profits over safety.
What Should I Do If My Baby Has Been Injured by a Crib Bumper?
Alan M. Feldman, a co-founding partner and product liability attorney at Feldman Shepherd, recommends contacting a product liability attorney as soon as possible if your baby has been injured by a crib bumper.
Congress close to passing paid family and medical leave: Here's what it would mean
The CPSC, the federal agency tasked with regulating infant sleep products, among other things, voted unanimously last March to move forward with a proposed federal safety rule that would prohibit the sale of padded crib bumpers that fail to meet airflow requirements.
What advocates say parents should know
Legislation that bans padded crib bumpers is already in place in a handful of states, including Maryland, New York and Ohio, and the city of Chicago.
How much has the rate of sudden infant death dropped?
dropped by more than 50%, according to the National Institutes of Health .
Where are padded bumpers banned?
Legislation that bans padded crib bumpers is already in place in a handful of states, including Maryland, New York and Ohio, and the city of Chicago.
What does a baby's hand reach for?
A baby's hand reaches for the rail of a crib that has a bumper tied to the rails.
Is it dangerous to put a baby face on a crib bumper?
Experts say that padded crib bumpers in particular pose a potential danger because babies may turn their faces into the bumper's padding, raising the risk of suffocation, may become entrapped underneath or around the bumper, or may become entangled in the bumper's ties, increasing the risk of strangulation.
Is Maxwell's bumper pad dangerous?
Prior to her son's death, Maxwell said there wasn't anything about bumper pads that she found to be dangerous. She had even used them with her daughter, Emma, who is two years older than Preston.
Should infants sleep on their backs?
Guidelines from both the CPSC and the AAP say caregivers should always place infants to sleep on their backs on a firm, flat surface and should never add "blankets, pillows, padded crib bumpers, or other items to an infant's sleeping environment."
How many babies died in the US in 1994?
When the campaign began in 1994, nearly 4,700 babies had died of sudden unexpected death the previous year. By 2010, the number of such deaths had been cut in half, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. Since then, the gains have stalled.
How many cases of sudden unexpected infant death in 2011?
The study analyzed data from 4,929 cases of sudden unexpected infant death, or SUID, from 2011 to 2017. Soft bedding was associated with 72 percent of the cases. Very young infants are unable to move away from suffocation hazards that impair their ability to breathe.
What are the causes of accidental suffocation in babies?
The research, published Tuesday in the journal Pediatrics, finds that blankets, pillows, crib bumpers, stuffed animals and sleep surfaces other than cribs remain leading causes of accidental suffocation among babies 4 months old and younger.
What is sudden infant death?
SUID is the sudden unexpected death of a baby under age 1. It includes SIDS, or sudden infant death syndrome, as well as accidental suffocation in sleep environments. "We're also talking about infants being placed on surfaces other than a bassinet or crib — a couch, a recliner or an adult bed," said the study's author, Sharyn Parks, ...
Can pacifiers be used on toys?
Studies have also shown that the use of pacifiers can reduce the risk for sudden infant death. Pacifiers should not be attached to clothing or toys, experts say.
Do babies still need soft bedding?
A majority of unexpected deaths among young babies still involve soft bedding , despite decades of safe-sleep messaging targeting new parents, a study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found.
What makes a crib safe?
And what makes for a safe crib? Keeping the crib completely free of bedding is another new safety recommendation that many parents are not aware of: "The best crib is a bare crib. That means nothing should go in the crib but the baby -- no blankets, no pillow, no baby bumper. All of those things have been associated with an increase risk of suffocation death. Dress the baby warmly and put nothing else in the crib."
When did crib safety become mandatory?
Before the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act, manufacturers followed voluntary guidelines regarding safety design and testing, but since the passing of the act in 2008, some of these voluntary standards have become mandatory. For example, in December, in the first new mandatory crib standards set in three decades, the Consumer Product Safety Commission banned cribs with drop-down sides that can trap children when they malfunction.
Why should a crib mattress be snug?
The crib mattress should also be so snug as to not allow two fingers to fit between the mattress and the frame, Smith says, because infants can become wedged in the open space and suffocate.
How many children were treated for injuries in the ER in 2008?
Between 1990 and 2008, more than 180,000 children under the age of 2 were treated in ERs for injuries related to cribs, bassinets or playpens, the study found. Of these injuries, 83 percent involved cribs and almost half involved injuries to the head and neck, including concussions.
Is it safe to paint a crib?
While the child injury and death statistics noted in the study can paint cribs in a negative light, they are still the safest place for your baby to sleep, says Gary Smith.
Did Conner's dad replace his crib?
Conner was kept overnight at the hospital and "everything checked out," but before he could come home, Conner's father made sure to replace the crib. "It was the crib we used with my daughter, and the boys had shared the up until they were about 6 months old," Kelly Smith says.
Is it safe to leave a baby in a crib?
Feb. 18, 2011 — -- Parents believe cribs are one of the safest places they can leave their kids, and while that's still true, parents need to take precautions when it comes to cribs. According to new statistics from Nationwide Children's Hospital, 10,000 infant ER visits a year are because of crib malfuntiontions or mishaps.
How many deaths from crib bumpers in 2011?
That brings the number of crib bumper deaths to 77 , and suggests the actual number is much higher, the researcher said.
Why do you put bumpers in a crib?
Crib bumpers are padded cushions placed inside a crib to prevent a baby's limbs from getting stuck between the slats.
Why do babies die from suffocation?
Most of the babies died from suffocation because their noses and mouths were covered by a bumper or got between a bumper and a crib mattress. "When a baby's nose and mouth is covered by a bumper, the infant can suffocate when his or her airway becomes blocked, or from breathing oxygen-depleted air," lead author N.J.
Is a thick bumper safer than a plush bumper?
The study showed that the deaths and injuries occurred with thick-pillow bumpers, as well as thin bumpers, which manufacturers have touted as being safer than plush ones.
Is it safe to use a crib bumper?
Major health organizations, including the American Academy of Pediatrics, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have recommended against the use of crib bumpers.
