This morning the Adoption STAR Staff welcomed Etta Storm, who is a Nurse Practitioner who specializes in pediatric medicine, to the office to teach us about the specifics of safe sleeping for infants and new crib regulations.
The five new regulations for cribs are that:
– Drop side rails, including immobilizer retro fits, are prohibitted
– Crib slats must meet new standards for strength
– Hardware must be stronger and be a more precise fit
– Mattress supports must be stronger
– testing of cribs will be more rigorous than in the past
If you are using a crib that has been used for another child, the most important thing is to check the Consumer Product Safety Commission website to make sure your crib has not been recalled. When speaking to the staff about crib safety standards, Etta suggested that if a crib was over five years old it may be time to invest in a new crib. Even with new cribs it is important to continually check and tighten all of the screws in the crib.
Etta also stressed that it is very important to place your infant to sleep on his or her back, and not on their side or stomach. The crib should have no stuffed animals, pillows or anything else that isn’t necessary. Instead of using a blanket for your infant, you may want to use an infant sleeper or wearable blanket. This will zip around the baby to keep them warm, but has sleeveless arms to prevent overheating and will not ride over their face, reducing the risk of suffocation.
For more information and tips on infant sleeping safety you can watch this video at keepingbabiessafe.org. The video said that by placing your infant to sleep on his/her back reduces the risk of SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome) by more than 50 percent.
If you have any questions or would like more information regarding infant crib safety, you can can contact Adoption STAR by email or call (716)639-3900.