Here are some tips for baby safety. Most of the information is from the
American Academy of Pediatrics and First Candle. I'd like to emphasize
that this advice is primarily for healthy infants. Always talk to your
doctor, particularly if your child was premature or has any health
problems or unique circumstances. Recommendations have changed over the
years as we have learned more about child safety and development, and
they may well change again, so re-visit safety issues with your doctor
frequently. You may see all kinds of contradictory information on
parenting and health Web sites. A good place to sort it all out is the
American Academy of Pediatrics parenting corner,
Babies should sleep on a firm surface, such as a safety-approved
crib mattress, covered by a tight-fitting crib sheet. Never place your
baby to sleep on pillows, quilts, sheepskins, or other soft surfaces.
Infants should never sleep or nap on adult beds, waterbeds, sofas, or
soft mattresses.
Be careful about buying secondhand or using hand-me-down cribs,
bassinets, cosleepers, even if they've been in the family for years.
Safety standards have changed, and some products have been recalled or
taken off the market. Contact the Consumer Product Safety Commission at
1-800-638-2772 or at www.cpsc.gov. Consumer
Reports has also reminded parents that cosleepers have not been
tested as of this writing.
You'll see numerous devices and gadgets on the market designed to
maintain sleep positions, but they have not all been tested for safety
and efficacy and are not recommended. Generally, avoid them. If you
have some specific concern about your child's sleep position or
movement, talk to your doctor.
Cribs should be placed in a warm, dark part of the room, away
from windows. Blankets should not dangle from the side of the crib, and
wall hangings need to be well out of the baby's reach so he can't pull
them down on himself. Keep soft objects, toys, and loose bedding out of
your baby's sleep area. Don't use pillows, blankets, quilts,
sheepskins, or soft or pillowlike crib bumpers in your baby's sleep
area (other than the small blanket you swaddle a newborn in, and that
should be away from the face -- see Chapter 5, "The Right Start for
Newborns and Infants"), as these all pose a risk of suffocation.
At six months, remove all crib mobiles or toys attached to crib
sides because once the baby can pull and grab, they become a hazard. I
like keeping mobiles away from the crib all the time; use it someplace
where she's awake. Make the crib or sleep area "boring" as well as
safe.
Do not let your baby overheat during sleep. The room temperature
should be comfortable for a lightly clothed adult. Once you stop
swaddling your baby, use a sleep sack or blanket sleeper. If the
bedroom is cooler, use two sleep sacks or place one over the pajamas or
onesies.
Remember that the American Academy of Pediatrics strongly
recommends that you do not smoke around your baby and should not allow
anyone else to smoke around your baby. Smoking exposure may increase
the risk of SIDS and other respiratory illness.
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends you not let your
baby sleep in a bed or on a couch or armchair with adults or other
children. But it's fine to have an infant close by in your room,
particularly in the early months. See my advice on roomsharing in
Chapter 12, "Whose Bed Is It Anyway?" for more information. If you
bring your baby in bed with you to breastfeed, put him back in a
separate sleep area, such as a bassinet, crib, cradle, or a bedside
cosleeper (infant bed that attaches to an adult bed) when finished.
When baby starts to roll and move in his sleep, graduate to a standard
crib for better -- and safer -- sleeping. Beds that are perfectly safe
and comfortable for adults or older children can be very hazardous for
babies. Soft bedding and other items in the adult bed increase the risk
of SIDS and suffocation, especially for young babies. A baby or small
child can also fall from the bed or get trapped between the mattress
and the structure of the bed (the headboard, footboard, side rails, and
frame), between the bed and the wall or nearby furniture, or even
between railings in the headboard or footboard. Fatalities have been
documented.
If you do choose to have your baby in the family bed, understand all
the bed-sharing safety rules and always follow them. Parents
who do have a baby in bed with them for even part of the night must
never smoke or use substances, such as alcohol or drugs (including
prescription drugs that make you sleep heavily), that may impair
arousal, making them less aware of their baby's needs or position in
the bed.
Pacifiers can significantly reduce the risk of SIDS (see www.firstcandle.org). They also
soothe infants. Talk to your own pediatrician about when to start --
and stop -- the pacifier. Many doctors advise using a clean pacifier
when putting the infant down to sleep, although you shouldn't force the
baby to take it. If you are breastfeeding, wait about four to six weeks
before introducing the pacifier. Many parents stop the pacifier after
six months, so the baby doesn't get so accustomed to falling asleep
with something in his mouth. (Medical advice has changed frequently
over the years, so make sure you discuss pacifiers with your doctor and
check back as the child gets older.)
The above is an excerpt from the book The
Sleep
Lady®'s Good Night, Sleep Tight: Gentle Proven
Solutions to Help Your Child Sleep Well and Wake Up Happy
by Kim West, LCSW-C. The above excerpt
is a digitally scanned
reproduction of
text from print. Although this
excerpt has been proofread, occasional errors may appear due to the
scanning process. Please refer to the finished book for accuracy.
Copyright © 2009 Kim West, LCSW-C
with Joanne Kenen,
authors of The
Sleep
Lady®'s
Good
Night, Sleep Tight: Gentle Proven
Solutions to Help Your Child Sleep Well and Wake Up Happy
Excerpt
from The Sleep Lady's Good Night, Sleep Tight: Gentle Proven Solutions to Help Your Child Sleep Well and Wake Up Happy