Baby Products: How to Evaluate Them for Potential Safety

Document Type

Book Chapter

Publication Date

4-2025

Identifier

DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-84294-8_13

Abstract

The safest place for an infant to sleep is in a new crib, bassinet, portable crib, or play yard. However, parents are faced with an increasing array of infant sleep products which may in fact create a hazardous sleeping environment. Recent legislative actions driven by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and child safety advocates seek to protect infants from hazardous sleep products through enacting recalls, bans, and development of infant sleep product standards. A new play yard or portable crib is preferable to used or older cribs, which may not meet current safety standards. Use of outdated or damaged cribs, bassinets, portable cribs, and play yards can result in entrapment, suffocation, or strangulation. The crib mattress should be firm and not indent when the infant is sleeping on it. The only other items in the sleep environment should be a fitted sheet and pacifier. The sheet should fit snugly on the mattress and wrap around to the bottom of the mattress on all four sides. All other objects, including pillows, blankets, bumper pads, nursing pillows or loungers, stuffed toys, quilts, comforters, and mattress toppers, should be removed. Sleep areas other than a new crib, bassinet, portable crib, or play yard are not recommended; these include adult beds, futons, sofas, chairs, car seats (unless in transit), swings, bouncers, baby loungers, and pillows. Most baby boxes do not meet the current infant sleep product standards. Wearable blankets or sleep sacks are preferred over loose blankets to keep infants warm. Swaddling should be discontinued when the infant begins to show signs of trying to roll over. Weighted swaddles and blankets should not be used. Baby monitors do not reduce the risk of sleep-related infant death. Parents should use caution in purchasing any infant sleep products which purport to reduce SIDS or to make an otherwise unsafe sleep practice (e.g., non-supine positioning) safe; at this time, there is no research to support any of those products’ claims of superior safety over using a crib, bassinet, portable crib, or play yard. The CPSC updates infant product safety standards as new safety information is available; providers and parents can check for the most current standards at CPSC.gov.

Journal Title

Infant Safe Sleep

First Page

267

Last Page

293

Keywords

Suffocation; Sleep product; Crib; Mattress; Swaddling; Bassinet; Play yard

Link to Full Text
Library Record

Share

COinS