Parents have numerous decisions to make just about every day when it comes to their baby or toddler.
Should they breast feed or feed the baby formula? Should they allow their child to use a pacifier or not? Should they allow their child to sleep in their bed with them? For parents who want their child to sleep in their own crib, there is another decision that has to be made: Should they install and use a crib bumper? Crib bumpers have caused quite a bit of controversy in recent years and there is a large section of the parenting population who believe that they are not safe and pose a serious safety risk to babies and toddlers.
Crib bumpers started being used several years ago before there were any regulations on crib manufacturing.
Cribs were often built with wide gaps between the vertical slats.
These gaps were wide enough that babies could and often did get their heads stuck between the slats.
Unfortunately there were babies who were injured as a result and there were even a few who died.
Parents, in an effort to protect their children, would use bumpers to prevent babies from being able to get their heads stuck.
The problem was that now babies were at risk of suffocation or even strangulation due to the crib bumpers.
There were documented cases where a child was smothered when their face became pressed against the bumper and also cases where a child was strangled when a bumper tie came loose and got wound around a child's neck.
Recently, there have been regulations passed that require crib manufacturers to build cribs that have slats that are no more than three inches apart.
This prevents the possibility that any babies will get their heads stuck - so why are crib bumpers still so popular with some parents? They are popular for a couple of legitimate reasons.
Even though babies are no longer at risk to get their heads stuck between the crib slats, there is still the risk of getting limbs caught.
There is also the risk of a baby hitting its head against the wooden or metal crib frame and hurting itself.
Many parents feel that bumpers protect their sleeping babies from these hazards.
Some parents also like the visual appeal of a bumper on their child's crib.
Many parents spend a lot of time, energy and money on designing and decorating their child's nursery and select a bumper that matches or compliments the rest of the bedding set or the room's color scheme.
The good news is that parents can now have the best of both worlds.
They can have the safety that a crib bumper offers without the associated risks.
Breathable bumpers are available just about anywhere you buy baby bedding or accessories.
Breathable bumpers are made of a mesh like material that allows for proper air flow and even if a baby does get its face pressed up against the bumper, they can breathe through the material and there is no danger of suffocation.
Other safety precautions that parents should take if they do decide to use a crib bumper are to trim away any excess string from the ties to eliminate the risk of strangulation and also make sure that the bumper fits the crib properly.
If the bumper is too wide or long, there is a risk that the baby can get tangled up and be in danger.
Crib bumpers are like many consumer products in that there are some risks associated with their use.
Parents need to educate themselves on those risks and what they can proactively do to minimize or eliminate them, and decide if the benefits of using a crib bumper outweigh the risks.