Safety is of prime importance
when buying a crib for baby. A good crib is one that will ensure he won't fall
out when he's in it.
Choose one that is sturdy and can
hold the baby's weight. There should be support bars underneath the crib to
give it more stability. The railings should be firm, rounded, and cannot be
flexed. The finish should be smooth, even, and free of cracks, dents, and
splinters. Likewise, the paint should not have any lead content. If the crib
has slats, make sure that they are not spaced far apart so that the baby won't
accidentally get his head or any part of his body caught in between. There
should also be nothing that can help the baby climb out of the crib. And the
drop side of the crib should have double latches to prevent accidental release.
The mattress should fit snugly
and conform to standard size. Choose a firm foam mattress that has good vents
and does not have any inner parts that can break and harm the baby. Bumper pads
guard the baby from accidental bumping against the sides of the crib. However,
they should be removed as soon as the baby starts to use them to pull himself
up to stand or to climb out of the crib. Being of soft material, bumper pads
are collapsible and may be a cause for harm to the baby.
A lot of people also give baby
pillows as gifts. Sad to say, these should never be used as they may cause
stress to the baby's neck and affect his posture later in life, plus there's
also the danger of suffocation. Others, though, use just the pillowcases early
on and then with the pillows later when the baby is older.
