Crib Safety Standards: Ensure You Have a Baby Safe Crib

The minute you see those two pink lines, you want nothing more than health and happiness for your little one.

Fast forward six months to when your nesting instincts are in full force. As exciting as it is to plan and decorate the nursery, it’s important to recognize the importance of creating a safe sleep environment for your baby. Since babies spend most of their time sleeping, the nursery should be the safest room in the house.

How To Know You Have A Safe Crib

In 2011, the Consumer Products Safety Commission issued new federal safety regulations for both full and non-full sized baby cribs. The updated crib safety standards prohibit the sale of drop-side cribs from retailers, thrift stores, and websites and require more rigorous testing of all cribs, and the strengthening of crib slats, mattress support and hardware.

All units sold today must comply with these baby crib safety standards. All Delta Children cribs produced from April 2010 are all fully compliant. The use of secondhand cribs can be dangerous for your baby, as the product may have been improperly assembled, handled or stored prior to purchase.

Delta Children's Safe Sleep Campaign

Since its founding in 1968, Delta Children has been committed to making sure every child has a safe place to sleep. In 2012, we formalized this mission by introducing our Safe Sleep Campaign. Since its introduction, representatives of Delta Children have traveled the country, educating parents on the importance of creating a safe sleep environment.

In addition, with every purchase of a Delta Children products, a portion of the proceeds go towards building a safe sleep environment for children across the world. We’re proud to have donated nearly $500,000 in products to children and families affected by Hurricanes Harvey and Irma, and have given more than four million dollars since the start of our Safe Sleep Campaign.

Baby Crib Safety Tips For New and Expectant Parents

Between 1992 and 2000, the CPSC estimated that there were 700 deaths of children under the age of one as a result of suffocation from pillows and cushions placed in baby’s sleep environment.

To ensure your baby has the safest sleep environment possible, new and expectant parents are encouraged to follow these baby crib safety rules:

• Never place pillows or thick quilts in a baby's sleep environment, as they can pose a risk for suffocation.

• Make sure there are no gaps larger than two fingers between the sides of the crib and the mattress.

• Carefully follow the instructions provided and make sure that every part is installed correctly. Extra parts at the end indicate incorrect assembly.

• Do not use cribs older than 10 years or broken or modified cribs. Infants can strangle to death if their bodies pass through gaps between loose components or broken slats while their heads remain entrapped.

• Set up play yards properly according to manufacturer's' directions. Only use the mattress pad provided with the play yard; do not add extra padding.

• Place your baby’s crib at least three feet away from windows, lamps and other furniture.

• Don’t hang pictures or other items above or in reach from the crib or changing table.

• Only use a firm mattress that fits tightly in the crib.

• Mobiles should be removed once your baby can push up on his/her hands and knees.

Find answers to your common baby crib safety questions here.

Sleep Safety is Delta Children’s Mission:

Delta Children believes every child deserves a safe place to sleep. When it comes to your child's safety in the nursery and at the home, you can count on our cribs and nursery furniture to deliver the security you and your baby need to sleep soundly through the night.

For additional crib safety and other safety tips for the nursery, check out more #deltatips here.