SIDS, or Sudden Infanct Death Syndrome, is something no parent wants to think about, but there are government-recommended crib-safety precautions that can be taken to reduce your infant's chance of accidental suffocation. If using a blanket, it is best to place your infant with his or her feet nearly touching one end of the crib, then tuck the blanket in at the foot and the sides allowing it to cover no higher than your baby's chest. Using a sleeper instead of a blanket may further reduce any risk of danger. Your child should sleep on his or her back in a crib with a firm, tightly fitting mattress. This is to prevent your child from becoming trapped between the sides of the crib and the mattress. Only use fitted sheets that are made for cribs and fit the mattress properly. Do not put pillows, comforters, quilts, bumper pads or stuffed toys in the crib with your child.
The slats of the crib should be no more than 2 1/4 inches apart so that the baby cannot squeeze through. Never use a crib with missing or damaged slats. The corner posts should not be taller than 1/16th of an inch high to prevent the infant's clothing from getting caught and there should not be any cutouts on the headboard or footboard where your child's head might become trapped. Be sure there are no loose or poorly installed brackets, screws or other hardware on the crib or mattress support.
If you plan to use a crib with mesh sides, don't use anything with mesh larger than 1/4 inch because the buttons from your infant's clothing could get caught. Check the tops and bottoms on all sides to be certain the mesh is securely attached and make sure there are no rips or holes in the rail cover along the top especially. Always