The following safety information comes from a wide variety of reputable sources and authorities, including the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), the National SAFE Kids Campaign, and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). Please read over this section, and give it serious consideration. Keep in mind that these lists cover safety issues relating to the bedroom and sleep at home. You should, of course, be aware of many other safety issues—at home and away. Also, because safety precautions are updated constantly, and because all children and their families are different, no checklist is fully complete and appropriate for every household. Do your homework, and please, put safety first.
• Do not use large, heavy blankets or comforters under or over your child, as these can entangle him or become a suffocation hazard. Instead, dress your child in warm sleeper pajamas layered with an undershirt when the temperature warrants them, and use small child-sized blankets. Have your child use a firm child-sized pillow (for children over eighteen months old).
• Keep the bedroom at a comfortable sleeping temperature, usually between 65°F and 72°F (18°C to 22°C). Be careful not to let your child get overheated or chilled.
• Do not allow anyone to smoke around your child. This holds true whether your child is asleep or awake. Children exposed to secondhand smoke face an increased risk of health complications, such as sleep apnea, allergies, and asthma.
• Dress your child in flame-resistant or snug-fitting sleepwear, not oversize, loose-fitting cotton clothing. Billowy or cotton fabrics pose a burn hazard in case of fire.
• Do not allow your child to sleep on a very soft sleeping surface such as a pillow, water bed, beanbag chair, foam pad, feather bed, or any other flexible surface. Young children should sleep only on a firm, flat mattress, with a smooth, wrinkle-free sheet that stays securely fastened around the mattress.
• Keep night-lights, lamps, and all electrical items away from where your child sleeps.
• Make sure you have a working smoke detector in your child's sleeping room, and check it as often as the manufacturer suggests. Have a carbon monoxide alarm in the home if necessary. Replace batteries as recommended.
• Do not put a child to sleep near a window, window blinds, cords, or draperies.
• Keep your child's regular appointments for checkups. If your child is sick or feverish, call your doctor or hospital promptly.
• Never shake or hit your child. (Child abuse often occurs when a parent is sleep-deprived and at the end of the rope. If you feel like you may lose your temper with your child, put your child in a safe place or with another caregiver, and go take a breather.)
• Never tie a pacifier to your child with a string, ribbon, or cord, as any of these can become wound around your child's finger, hand, or neck.
• Follow all safety precautions when your child is sleeping away from home, whether in a car seat, stroller, or unfamiliar place.
• Never leave a child unattended while in a stroller, child seat, swing, or car seat.
• Never leave a pet with access to a sleeping toddler. Use caution when inviting a pet into bed with a preschooler.
• Learn how to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Be sure that all other caregivers for your child are also trained in CPR.
• If your child spends time with a child-care provider, baby-sitter, grandparent, or anyone else, insist that safety guidelines are followed in that environment also.
• Keep your child's environment clean. Wash bedding often. Wash your hands after diapering your child and before preparing food. Wash your child's hands and face frequently.
• Pay attention to your own health and well-being.
• Make certain your child's crib meets all federal safety regulations, industry standards, and guidelines of the CPSC's most recent recommendations (cpsc.gov). Look for a safety certification seal. Avoid using an old or used crib.
• Make sure the mattress fits tightly to the crib, without gaps on any side. (If you can fit more than two fingers between the mattress and side of the crib, the mattress does not fit properly.)
• Make certain that your crib sheets fit securely and cannot be pulled loose by your child, which may create a dangerous tangle of fabric. Do not use plastic mattress covers or any plastic bags near the crib.
• Remove any decorative ribbons, bows, or strings. If you use bumper pads, make certain they surround the entire crib and that they are secured in many places—at a minimum, at each corner and in the middle of each side. Tie securely and cut off dangling string ties.
• Remove bumper pads before your child is old enough to get up on his hands and knees, so that these pads are not used for climbing out of the crib. If your child can pull himself to stand, make sure the mattress is on the lowest possible setting. Also, inspect the area around the crib to make sure no dangers await him if he does climb out of the crib. When your child is capable of climbing out, it's time to change to a floor mattress or bed.
• Be certain that all screws, bolts, springs, and other hardware and attachments are tightly secured, and check them from time to time. Replace any broken or missing pieces immediately. (Contact the manufacturer for replacement parts.) Make sure your crib has a sturdy bottom and wide, stable base so it does not wobble or tilt when your child moves around. Check to see that all slats are in place, firm, and stable—and that they are spaced no more than 2 3/8 inches (60 millimeters) apart.
• Make sure that corner posts do not extend more than 1/16 inch (1 1/2 millimeters) above the top of the end panel. Don't use a crib that has decorative knobs on the corner posts, or headboard and footboard designs that present a hazard, such as sharp edges, points, or pieces that can be loosened or removed. Always raise the side rail and lock it into position. Make sure your child cannot operate the drop-side latches.
• Don't hang objects over a sleeping or unattended child— that includes mobiles and other crib toys. There is a risk of the toy falling on your child or of your child reaching up and pulling the toy down into the crib.
• If you are using a portable crib, make sure the locking devices are properly and securely locked.
• Make sure your child is within hearing distance of your bed or that you have a reliable baby monitor turned on.
• Check the manufacturer's instructions on suggested size and weight limits for any crib. If there is no tag on the crib, call or write the manufacturer for this information.
• Make sure that any crib your child sleeps in when away from home meets all of the preceding safety requirements.
If your child sleeps with you, or any adult or other child, either for naps or at nighttime, you should adhere to the following safety guidelines:
• Your bed must be absolutely safe for your child. The best choice for toddlers is to place the mattress on the floor, making sure there are no crevices that your child can become wedged in. Make certain your mattress is flat, firm, and smooth. Do not allow your child to sleep on a soft surface such as a water bed, beanbag chair, or any other flexible surface.
• Make certain that your fitted sheets stay secure and cannot be pulled loose.
• If your bed is raised off the floor, use guardrails to prevent your child from rolling off the bed, and be especially careful that there is no space between the mattress and headboard or footboard.
• If your bed is placed against a wall or against other furniture, check every night to be sure there is no space between the mattress and wall or furniture where your child could become stuck.
• Use a large mattress to provide ample room for everyone's movement.
• Consider a sidecar arrangement in which the child's crib, bed, or mattress sits beside or close to your bed.
• Make certain that the room your child sleeps in, and any room she might have access to, is child-safe. (Imagine your child crawling out of bed as you sleep to explore the house. Even if she has not done this—yet—you can be certain she eventually will!)
• Do not ever sleep with your child if you have been drinking alcohol, if you have used any drugs or medications, if you are an especially sound sleeper, or if you are suffering from sleep deprivation and find it difficult to awaken.
• Do not sleep with your toddler if you are a large person, as a parent's excess weight has been determined to pose a risk to a child in a co-sleeping situation. Examine how you and your child settle in next to each other. If your child rolls toward you, if there is a large dip in the mattress, or if you suspect any other dangerous situations, play it safe and move your child to a bedside crib or his own bed.
• Use caution regarding pillows and blankets. Blankets shouldn't be too large or heavy. Pillows shouldn't be too large, deep, or soft. Keep in mind that body heat will add warmth during the night. Make sure your child doesn't become overheated.
• Do not wear any night clothes with strings or long ribbons. Don't wear jewelry to bed, and if your hair is long, put it up.
• Do not allow pets to sleep in bed with your toddler, and use caution when inviting a pet into bed with your preschooler.
• Never leave your child alone in an adult bed unless that bed is perfectly safe for your child, such as a mattress on the floor in a childproof room, and you are nearby or listening in on your child with a reliable child monitor.
• Never allow a child under six years of age to sleep in an upper bunk.
• Make sure the mattress is the proper size for the bed and that there is no space between the mattress and headboard or footboard.
• Use a bunk bed with high guardrails that surround the top level (all four sides) and that are screwed, bolted, or otherwise firmly attached to the bed. If all sides are not protected, add extra guards yourself. (Use those designed to accommodate this kind of use, such as fabric bolsters or additional boards. Don't use bed rails that require a box spring for stability.) Make sure your child cannot slip through the space between the guardrails.
• Do not place a bunk bed without side rails next to a wall as a child can become trapped between the two.
• Make sure the cross ties under the mattress are secure and can't fall out.
• Purchase a bed with an easy-to-use ladder, and if possible, have your child try it out while you watch and gauge her ability to climb the ladder.
• Teach children to use only the ladder to go up and down from the top bunk and to never jump from the upper bunk.
Imagine your child exploring the bedroom alone. Even if your child is sleeping in your bedroom, she could be up and about while you sleep. Is everything perfectly safe? Use this checklist to be sure.
• Install childproof covers over electrical outlets.
• Secure any furniture to prevent it from tipping. This includes all dressers and bookcases. (See meghanshope.org/cms for more information.)
• Use corner bumpers on sharp furniture edges.
• Keep curtain and blind cords out of reach.
• Use a childproof night-light that is cool to the touch.
• Install childproof latches on drawers that contain toiletries, solutions, or potential choking hazards, or keep these things secured in another room.
• Use wire guards or safety covers for electrical cords.
• Keep houseplants out of reach.
• Keep cribs and furniture away from windows.
• Use open toy boxes or those with child-safe lids.
• Keep large, heavy objects and enticing toys off high shelves.
• Do not use an electric blanket or electric heating pad with a young child.
• Install window guards. (Screens do not prevent accidents.)
• Do away with any removable plastic or rubber ends from doorstops.
• Use a monitor, intercom, or a bell on the door so that you know if your child leaves the bedroom.
• Keep all small toys and potential choking hazards out of the bedroom.
• Use a Tot Finder window sticker on the outside of the window to alert firefighters that it is a child's bedroom. (These are available through fire departments or safety catalogs.)
• Don't use bunk beds for children under six years old.
• Have a fire-escape ladder for rooms above the first story.
• Block stairways with childproof gates.
• Consider hiring a specialized company to help you childproof your home.