Deciding Where Your Baby Sleeps

A crib is a safe space for your baby to sleep. Read below to be sure that your crib meets safe sleep measures:

• To prevent suffocation, never place pillows, thick quilts, stuffed animals in a baby’s sleep environment.
• Make sure there are no gaps larger than two fingers between the sides of the crib and the mattress.
• Do not use bumper pads because these can cause strangulation or suffocation
• Proper assembly of cribs is important. Follow the instructions provided and make sure that every part is installed correctly. If you are not sure, call the manufacturer for assistance. Only original parts should be used,
• Do not use cribs older than 10 years, broken or modified cribs. Infants can strangle to death if their bodies pass through gaps between loose components or broken slats while their heads remain entrapped.
• Never place a crib near a window with blinds, curtain cords or baby monitor cords; babies can strangle on cords.
• No more than 2 3/8 inches between crib slats so a baby’s body cannot fit through the slats. If a soda can fits easily through the slats on a crib, the spaces between the slats are too wide.
• A firm snug-fitting mattress so a baby cannot get trapped between the mattress and the side of the crib.
• Do not put a car seat, carrier, infant recliner or other items with an infant inside the crib. Many of these items can tip over when placed on top of an uneven surface, such as a mattress. Babies have also flipped over the side of these products and become wedged between them and other items in the crib.

Click HERE to read more about crib safety.

A pack’n play (also called play yards and portable cribs) is a safe space for your baby to sleep. Read below to be sure that your pack’n play meets safe sleep measures:

• Set up play yards properly according to manufacturers’ directions. Only use the mattress pad provided with the play yard; do not add extra padding.
• To prevent suffocation, never place pillows or thick quilts in a baby’s sleep environment.
• The mattresses in the play yard are thin and that is ok for your baby! Do not add extra padding, foam, or an additional mattress to the play yard. Doing so can cause babies to suffocate by getting their face stuck in the added soft items or because of the extra additions, the flexible sides of the play yard can be pressed out. This creates dangerous and deadly gaps between the side and the added material in which a baby can get trapped.
• Never place a play yard near a window with blind, curtain cords or baby monitor cords; babies can strangle on cords.

Before buying or borrowing a play yard, check this playpen/play yard recall list to make sure that the product you are using has not been recalled.

A bassinet or cradle is a safe space for your baby to sleep. Read below to be sure that your bassinet or cradle meets safe sleep measures:

• The new standard defines “bassinet/cradle” as a small bed designed primarily to provide sleeping accommodations for infants, supported by free standing legs, a stationary frame or stand, a wheeled base, a rocking base, or swing relative to a stationary base.
• Set up according to manufacturers’ directions. Only use the mattress pad provided with bassinets/cradle; do not add extra padding.
• To prevent suffocation, never place pillows or thick quilts in a baby’s sleep environment.
• A bassinet/cradle is not intended to be used beyond the age of about 5 months or when a child is able to push up on his or her hands and knees. Bassinet and cradle attachments for non-full-size cribs or play yards are considered to be part of the bassinet/cradle category, as are bedside sleepers that can be converted to four-sided bassinets not attached to a bed.
• Never place a bassinet/cradle near a window with blind, curtain cords or baby monitor cords; babies can strangle on cords.

A bedside sleeper can be a safe space for your baby to sleep. Read below to be sure that your bedside sleeper meets safe sleep measures:

A bedside sleeper is a rigid frame assembly secured to an adult bed to allow infants to sleep close by an adult without being in the adult bed. A bedside sleeper is a bassinet that is made to be attached to the side of the adult bed. Usually, one side is lower than the others to allow parents easy access to the baby at night. The lower side may form a short barrier between the two sleep spaces, or it may be adjustable so that the two sleep spaces meet at the same level.

If you choose to use a bedside sleeper, you should carefully check the mechanism that holds the sleeper next to the adult bed. Will it slide away and allow a gap to form? You should also check the mattress supports to be sure they are sturdy and won’t allow the mattress to sag or dip. Check the weight limits and look at any age recommendations given by the manufacturer. Once your baby is able to roll over, sit up, or crawl, it will no longer be safe to use the bedside sleeper. Babies can learn some of these skills at 3 or 4 months old, so take that into account when deciding how much to spend on a bedside sleeper. Mandatory U.S. federal safety standards for bedside sleepers went into effect in 2014. Some bedside sleepers have been recalled because they allowed a baby to fall in a gap between the two mattresses, or otherwise allowed entrapment or strangulation. Any bedside sleeper sold in the U.S. must now meet the appropriate safety standards. If you’re considering buying a used bedside sleeper, though, older models may not be safe enough.

Recently the Consumer Safety Product Commission found these products to be non-approved infant sleep products due largely to the fact that the sleep space does not have legs. A baby box may be a good alternative for many families that need a temporary place for their infant to sleep in an emergency situation.

It is important that parents understand that although these can be used temporarly for an emergency situation, there are limitations regarding baby boxes. The following are some things to consider regarding the use of a baby box:

• Babies should only sleep in the box for the first 3-4 months of life (or until they can turn over). After 4 months or when they can turn over, you will need another safe sleep space for your baby, such as a crib or pack-n-play.
• Make sure the baby box, like all sleep spaces for infants, does not contain any fluffy bedding, pillows, blankets, stuffed animals, or extra padding.
• The box is designed to be placed on the floor. It should not be placed on a bed, dresser, table, couch, counter, or any other unstable or high surface.

Recently the Consumer Safety Product Commission found these products to be non-approved infant sleep spaces. A co-sleeping bassinet lays on top of your bed, providing a small, walled-off space for your baby to sleep. There are several different types of co-sleeping bassinets, and they are not covered by a federal safety standard because they don’t really fit into a broad product category.

 Safe Sleep NC would not recommend these products, but if you choose to use a co-sleeping bassinet, make sure it provides a firm surface for baby to sleep. The mattress portion should fit snugly inside, with no gaps. The sides should not be padded. Look for mesh sides or other breathable materials. Make sure the frame cannot be easily collapsed if a parent rolls against the edge of it, as this could entrap your baby or cause injury. Again, once your baby can roll or sit up, you’ll need to stop using the co-sleeping bassinet.

• Set up according to manufacturers’ directions. Only use the mattress pad provided with bassinets/cradle; do not add extra padding.
• To prevent suffocation, never place pillows or thick quilts in a baby’s sleep environment.
• Never place a bedside sleeper near a window with blinds, curtain cords or baby monitor cords; babies can strangle on cords.
• The product is intended to provide a sleeping environment for an infant up to approximately 5 months of age or when a child begins to push upon his or her hands and knees.

Recently the Consumer Safety Product Commission found inclined sleep products to be non-approved infant sleep spacesAny inclined sleep space or sitting device is NOT recommended for a sleep space for baby. Sitting devices, such as car seats, strollers, swings, infant carriers, and infant slings, are not recommended for routine sleep in the hospital or at home, particularly for young infants. Babies should always sleep on a flat surface.

Babies who are younger than 4 months are particularly at risk, because the way they move in these devices which might increase the risk of suffocation or airway obstruction or may not be able to move out of a potentially asphyxiating situation. Car seats and other sitting devices should not be placed on a crib mattress or other elevated surfaces. Infants should not be left unattended in sitting devices. And, it is important that a baby is not left in a car seat when doing traveling with the straps unbuckled or partially buckled.

Many parents like to use body slings, wraps, or carriers when caring for their baby (also called baby wearing). It is important to take caution when using these. Baby wearing risks include baby suffocation or falls. It is very important that neither a cloth nor your clothes or body should interfere with infant breathing. To do this, babies who are positioned on your chest, should be at a level to where you could easily kiss them. This is helpful because this means you can always check that the baby’s face is uncovered. Also, infants should have their necks supported. This means that a baby’s head might be turned to the side alongside your body. A baby’s face should never be slumped down or tilted up. Click HERE to see a video about the importance of safety with slings, wraps, and carriers.

Recall Alert: Stop Using Fisher-Price Rock ‘n Play Sleeper Immediately              
 The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and Fisher-Price took the advice of the American Academy of Pediatrics and issued a recall of 4.7 million Rock ‘n Play infant sleepers following reports of infant deaths. This product is dangerous and parents and caregivers are urged to stop using it right away.

An investigation by Consumer Reports that found 32 infants had died while using the sleeper since 2011. Some of the infants rolled over while unrestrained and some were unable to breathe due to their position.

To request a refund for the Rock ‘n Play, visit http://bit.ly/RockNPlayRecall or call the company at 866-812-6518. Those who have owned the Rock ‘n Play for 6 months or less will receive a cash refund while those who have owned them longer will receive a voucher for a new Fisher-Price product.

The AAP does not recommend letting infants sleep in inclined products like the Rock ‘n Play that require restraining a baby. AAP policy calls for infants to sleep on their back, on a separate, flat and firm sleep surface without any bumpers, bedding or stuffed toys. 

The Consumer Product Saftey Commison (CPSC) warns against placing babies in adult beds (this includes air mattresses and any mattress not designed for an infant) because of the risk of suffocation and strangulation. The majority of infant sleep-related deaths in North Carolina occurred in an adult bed and were associated with bed sharing.  Bed sharing is when someone sleeps on the same surface with a baby, such as a chair, sofa or bed. Many parents do bed share for different reasons. Some parents do so on purpose and some do so on accident.  The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) strongly recommends against bed sharing with an infant.

Some babies sleep in an adult bed alone or with their parents (or with others). Some parents plan to share their bed with their babies for a variety of reasons and some parents have their baby sleep with them on accident, usually because they fall asleep while caring for them. And sometimes a baby is placed to sleep on an adult bed alone. All of these practices can be very dangerous.

Click HERE to read more about bed sharing. Find out factors that make bed sharing riskier.

Parents and babies sometimes fall asleep together on sofas or armchairs. Sometimes babies are placed to sleep on these places. It is important to note that these are very dangerous places for babies to sleep. They can easily get trapped, smothered, or dropped. This puts them at an increased risk of death. Never fall asleep with a baby on sofa or armchair or place them to sleep on these surfaces.

NEVER have a baby sleep on a sofa or armchair!