Baby Cribs and Mattresses - What You Should Know

It should come as no surprise to expectant parents that a baby crib is often regarded as one of the most important pieces of furniture your baby will ever own. Think about it this way: between naps, bedtime and playtime, your new bundle of joy will be spending much of her first months within a crib - and you'll want to ensure that it's as safe and baby-friendly as possible! From providing countless hours of entertainment and comfort to shielding your baby against dangers associated with poorly constructed cribs - such as suffocation and choking - choosing the right baby crib involves a great deal of research and consideration.

Whether you consider yourself an expert on baby cribs or you've never stepped inside a nursery store before, every parent should have this checklist at hand for determining whether or not that baby crib is a worthwhile buy.

As an expectant parent, it can be easy to get swept up in the fervor of baby crib shopping. From round designer cribs to petit mobile baby beds, it can be hard to resist the excitement of envisioning your baby's nursery resplendent with the finest baby crib money can buy. However, before you pull out that credit card, you'll need to do some basic safety tests to ensure that any potential baby crib is safe, well-constructed and is backed by an airtight manufacturer warranty. Here is a brief guideline on what a safe crib will look like:

· An ideal baby crib will have corner posts that measure no more than 1/16 inches above the top end panel of the crib. Shorter corner posts significantly cut the risks of accidental hangings or suffocation due to entangled sheets.



· Check to see if the mattress support hangers are firmly screwed into place. Loose hangers will undoubtedly pose a choking hazard to your baby, and can even cause a few nasty cuts and bruises if your baby is an inquisitive explorer.

· The smaller the panels of the baby crib, the better - wide panels pose a significant suffocation risk to your baby, as his head can easily become wedged between the panels. Ideally, the panels of the baby crib should be no further apart than 2 3/8 inches, which roughly equals the size of an aluminum soda can.

· Give the paint a little scrape with your fingernail (just be sure the salesperson isn't around!) - does it easily flake off? If so, errant paint chips can pose a choking hazard to your baby as well as lead to some nasty tummy aches.



As always, before you consider any potential purchase of a baby crib, thoroughly research the manufacturing company to see if there have been any recalls on the model (or any of their models, for that matter) in the past decade. Read a few customer review surveys to get a feel for how the baby cribs hold up once taken out of the nursery store. Are they strong and sturdy? Do they stand up to even the fiercest temper tantrum? Does the paint easily chip off? Researching these parameters will help you to finally determine if that baby crib is safe and strong enough for your precious child.

While it might be a nice thought to envision your baby in the same crib that you used when you were an infant, it's best to steer clear of a secondhand baby crib that's more than five years old. Secondhand cribs can pose safety risks and hazards that even the most careful parent can overlook; for example, the crib could have been called back by the manufacturer due to a fault, or the paint/varnish could contain a chemical that's now shown to irritate your baby's delicate skin or allergies. In the end, saving a few hundred dollars simply isn't worth the risk that you'll be putting your baby in by accepting a secondhand crib that's older than five years.

Think you know which baby crib you're going to take home? Make sure that there's an airtight warranty on that model, since regular maintenance will be a must to ensure your baby's continued safety. Continually check the baby crib to see if any screws, bolts or other parts have come loose; if they have, you can use your warranty to get the crib fixed or receive a new model at no extra cost. After all, even the smallest newborn will have inquisitive hands that can loosen a screw or bolt over time - and it's your job as a vigilant parent to watch out for these unexpected risks!

Now that you know what to look for in a baby crib, you can shop in confidence knowing that your baby will sleep more soundly in a safe and comfortable environment - and you'll get a full night's sleep as well!