Baby Cribs Safety Tips
Crib Design
Dispose of antique baby cribs with decorative cutouts, corner posts or lead paint. The space between the slats should be no more than 2-3/8 inches apart to prevent infants from getting their head stuck between them. Cribs manufactured after 1974 must meet this and other strict safety standards. The corner posts should be the same height as the end panels or less than 1/16 of an inch higher than the end panels.
No cut-out areas on the headboard or foot board so a baby’s head cannot get trapped. The top rails of crib sides, in their raised position, should be at least 26 inches above the top of the mattress support at its lowest position.
As soon as the child can pull himself to a standing position, set and keep the mattress at its lowest position. Stop using the crib once the height of the top rails is less than three-fourths of the child’s height.
Mattress
The mattress should fit snugly next to the crib so that there is no gap. If two adult fingers can be placed between the mattress and the crib, the mattress should be immediately replaced. Do not use plastic packaging materials, such as...