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A Safe Place to Sleep
A Guide to Crib and Mattress Safety By Lyn Mettler
When Rose Lineweaver put her 23-month-old son Danny down for a nap in his crib on July 14, 1984, she never imagined she was leaving him in a dangerous place. When she checked on him just a few minutes later, she found Danny strangling after his shirt caught on a post on the corner of his crib. He suffered severe, permanent brain damage and later died at the age of 11.
It's stories like this that highlight the absolute necessity of ensuring the crib and mattress you choose for your baby is as safe as possible. Lineweaver has dedicated her life to educating other parents about the dangers of cribs and other nursery equipment by starting the Danny Foundation in memory of her son.
And cribs aren't the only things that can be hazardous to your baby. So take the time to educate yourself about selecting the right products to keep your little one safe and sound.
Crib hazards can include corner posts, like the one on which Danny was caught, loose hardware, slats that are too far apart, cutouts in headboards and footboards and more. One way to be sure you have a safe crib is to buy it new in the United States.
"If you're buying a new crib in the U.S., you can feel pretty good that it's a safe crib," says Leah Severson, author of Bargain Buys for Baby's First Year (Griffin, 2000) and mother of two. "The government has certain safety standards that all cribs must meet."
Many parents may worry about the expense of a new crib and instead use older cribs or hand-me-downs, but Lineweaver says it's simply not worth it. "The cost of a new crib, while substantial, is nothing compared to the pain and suffering associated with a crib injury or accidental death," she says. "Resist your mom or mother-in-law's effort to have you use the crib that you or your husband were raised in."
