September is Baby Safety Month  

JPMA Safety House

FULL SIZE CRIBS

This first “home” should be cheerful and secure. Each year, approximately 50 babies suffocate or strangle when they become trapped between broken crib parts or in cribs with older, unsafe designs. Many older cribs do not meet all current safety standards. Even if you are on a tight budget, you should not purchase an old crib at a garage sale or accept a hand me down.

•    Remember to ALWAYS keep the drop side up when baby is in the crib.
•    NEVER place your crib near windows, draperies, blinds or wall mounted decorative accessories with long cords
•    Make sure there are no missing, loose, broken or improperly installed screws, brackets or other hardware on the crib or the mattress support.
•    Crib slats or spindles should be spaced no more than 2 3/8” apart, and none should be loose or missing.
•    Never use a crib with corner posts over 1/16 of an inch above the end panels (unless they’re over 16” high for a canopy). Babies can strangle if their clothes become caught on corner posts. These should be unscrewed or sawed off, and the remaining end panel should be sanded smooth.
•    The crib mattress should fit snugly with no more than two fingers width between the edge of the mattress and the crib side. Otherwise, baby can get trapped between the mattress and the side of the crib.
•    No cutout areas on the headboard or footboard so baby’s head cannot get trapped.
•    No cracked or peeling paint.
•    No splinters or rough edges.
•    Look for the JPMA Certification Seal.