crib bumper pads or guards safe?

[lovingabby]

Hello,
My DD who is almost 3 months turned over for the first time in her crib while sleeping and I did not have the padding up and her head was near the edge of the crib slats. I put it up yesterday but had heard that it was unsafe .... SIDS.  Any thoughts on the safety of using it?
Thanks,
SUzanne

[GG]

I was wondering that myself.  I'd rather have my ds bump his head that stick his face on it and not be able to breathe.  Am I being paranoid?  (he hasn't rolled over while sleeping yet but he's doing it while awake.)

[Caroline-Charlies Mummy]

Hello,

The advice over here is not to have these cot bumpers at all. They are a relatively new import to this country, and can be dangerous, especially if not fitted right.

When I bought my cot, I was told definitely not to fit them until around 6 months (when the baby is able to roll out from under them if they do fall on top of him, or strong enough to push them away).

This is just another of those conspiracies to make the parents' job harder  :roll:  :lol: . You don't want your lo to bump their head, but then you don't want them to be suffocated either! I have just been working on the basis of the less loose fabric in the cot, the better (no loose blankets, teddy bears, etc). He sleeps in a gro-bag, and if he needs an extra blankie, I anchor it under the mattress. Needless to say, my mother thinks I'm mad (I think this panicking over things like this is a relatively new thing), but at least I sleep better at night!

Caroline

[lovingabby]

Thanks for the input. I guess I will take it down. SHe is now scooting to the edge of the bed a lot too! Oh well...maybe she will learn not to hot her head on it. I too am "paranoid" about suffocating. I think it is a good thing that we watch out for out LL ones so well

[Erin (redstarfalling)]

Do you know if there's an age where it could be safe?  My lo is now 10 months old and she has a tendency to stick her arms or legs (well - what fits!) through the bars and then has a hard time getting them out.  I thought that if I attached bumper pads, they wouldn't go through the bars as often...

[moo's mom]

I was told to take our bumper guards out for two reasons: 1) when they're younger and not able to get themselves away from the guards then it's a suffocation risk, and 2) when they're older and pulling themselves up (as my dd is)  then they can use the guard as a 'step' and will either get themselves stuck or use it to get over the rails and end up falling out of the crib.

[lovingabby]

I researched some on this and found that there are some bumper guards that prevent suffocation and climbing out and keep arms out or slats. One is called crib shield and the other breathable bumper. I think you can get them at walmart. I might try these to see if they help.