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A Safe Place to Sleep
A Guide to Crib and Mattress Safety
By Lyn Mettler
Log on to the CPSC Web site (www.cpsc.gov) to learn more about crib safety and to receive free e-mails about the latest crib recalls.
None of the experts had a preference over foam or coil mattresses. Instead they recommend buying whichever is the firmest. Severson suggests taking an object that weighs about 10 pounds – about the size of a newborn baby – and setting it on several mattresses. It should sit on top of the mattress without sinking into it.
It's also important that the mattress fit the crib snugly. "A little gap between a crib and a mattress can be a big danger for a baby," says Severson, as babies can get their heads caught in the gap. However, you can easily test the snugness of a mattress using your fingers. "If you can fit two fingers between the mattress and any side of the crib, the mattress is too small," says LaGow.
Sheets should fit so tightly around the mattress that they can't be removed by pulling on a corner. "Babies may flail up in their sleep and pull something over their face," says LaGow.
According to Severson, there should also be 2 inches of material under each mattress corner. She also cautions to check the sheets again after washing them, as many inexpensive brands tend to shrnk. You can log onto www.babysheets.com to purchase sheets by a mother who lost her baby to this hazard. Her sheets are made like a pillowcase and have Velcro on the end for maximum safety.
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Re: A Safe Place to Sleep by Martin on 01/13/2009 12:32PM
My baby Samantha is still sleeping in her crib. However, she is nearing that stage where the crib will no longer be safe. When she is standing at the edge of her crib mattress, the top of her head is almost at the same level as the sidebar. Based on what I have read, a baby should not sleep inside the crib when he/she is taller than the sidebar. At that point there is a good chance of attempts to climb out.