Wednesday, May 13, 2009

What Type of Baby Crib is Best?

By Sally Gordon

Today there are numerous types of baby cribs to choose from including co-sleepers, bassinets and cradles. Styles vary from trendy to traditional and economical. No matter what your taste, the most important feature of your infant's new crib is safety.

You can spend a lot of money on a baby crib but if it doesn't keep your baby safe it's not worth it no matter how good it looks. You also might notice the option that some cribs have the ability to covert into toddler beds or day beds after your baby grows up. You might want to consider this if your baby is not going to have any younger siblings. But if you end up having any more children you'll probably need to use the same crib.

Some parents believe that drop side baby cribs offer a lot of convenience. However, the jury is still out on whether or not drop side cribs are 100% safe. There hasn't been any safety standards established yet for drop side cribs, only stationary ones. Recently Consumer Reports has recommended staying away from drop side cribs until more tests have been done on their safety and reliability.

Another option that seems to be popular these days is the co-sleeper. A co-sleeper is a crib that sets next to the mother's bed. One side of the crib sets lower so the baby can sleep next to the parent's bed but in his own sleeping area. While this does allow the mother to sleep near her baby without the danger of rolling on top of him it doesn't prevent bedding from sliding into the co-sleeper in the middle of the night. This could possibly be a dangerous situation.

You may think about using a bassinet, cradle, or co-sleeper for your infant but most safety experts agree that a baby is safest when sleeping in a stationary-type crib. Today, cribs must meet certain safety guidelines while the other sleep options do not. Choosing where your baby is going to sleep is an important consideration you should think about before bringing your infant home. Planning ahead and doing plenty of research on the safest baby cribs is time well spent.

The first thing parents often run out and buy as soon as they learn they're expecting is a crib. However, instead of rushing into the purchase you should take the time to research your options. Many sleeping hours will be spent in the crib, so be sure to make an educated choice and don't purchase the first crib you find just because it matches your decor.

Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) is also something to study on. To avoid possible complications associated with the syndrome be sure your baby always sleeps on his back, not the stomach. There also shouldn't be any soft items placed in the crib with the baby including blankets, pillows, quilts, and stuffed animals.

About the Author:

No comments: