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How Do You Know Which Portable Baby Crib Is Safe For Your Baby?

The infant safety standards on this page have been provided to give you peace of mind when you lay your little one down to sleep.

Cribs that do not meet the standards for infant safety have been associated with strangulation, laceration, amputation, entrapment, suffocation, falling and SIDS. Not what you want for your precious newborn!

So check any portable crib, travel crib or playpen that you intend to buy or use against the standards for infant safety below. You'll be making sure your little one is in safe hands when yours can't be there...





These basic crib safety standards apply to portable cribs, travel cribs and playpens.

• Make sure that the crib has top rails that will automatically lock when lifted into the normal use position.
• Playpen mesh should have a small weave (less than ¼ inch openings) - smaller than the tiny buttons on baby's clothing.
• Mesh should have no tears or loose threads. These can cause entrapment or entanglement and strangulation.
• Mesh should be securely attached to the top rail and floor plate.
• Wooden portable cribs or playpens should have slats spaced no more than 2 3/8 inches apart. A bigger gap than this can allow your baby's head to slip through, presenting a risk of strangulation.
• The top rail cover should have no tears or holes. Teething babies can swallow pieces of fabric and choke. Yep - unfortunately, the dangers are everywhere!

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Many poratable crib accidents can be prevented by careful attention to detail during setup and use. Improper setup can cause the baby bed to collapse resulting in injury or, heaven forbid, death to your baby.

Consider how fragile your newborn baby is everytime you lay her down to sleep and follow these guidelines...

• Never leave the drop-side of a mesh baby crib in the down position. This has resulted in deaths in the past.


How?

When a mesh side is left down, the mesh hangs loosely, forming a pocket between the edge of the floor panel and the side. Young infants even a few weeks old can move to the edge and fall into the loose mesh pocket where they can be trapped and suffocate.

Even if your baby is not in the crib, the side should be left up as babies can try to crawl into the crib and cut or pinch their fingers on the unlocked hinge mechanism.


• Always set the crib up correctly. Improper setup can cause the crib to collapse resulting in injury or death to your baby. Make sure that all caregivers and babysitters know how to set up the crib.

Rotating Hinges





Check that the crib does not have a rotating hinge in the center of the top rails. (Rotating hinges have caused deaths when the top rails have collapsed and formed an acute 'V' shape that entrapped the child's neck.)

Several brands of this type of baby crib have been recalled. See our crib recall report here.
• Make sure the mattress pad fits snugly.
• Do not put additional mattresses in a portable baby crib or playpen. Your baby could become wedged between the mattresses. Toddlers may use the height to climb out.
• Do not put any large toys, pillows or bumper pads in the crib. They can be used as aids for climbing out.
• Check that all locking devices are properly latched before putting your baby in the crib.
• Repair any tears in mesh or fabric sides immediately.
• Do not attach toys to the playpen sides with strings or cords. These could wrap around your baby's neck causing strangulation.
• Avoid tying any items across the top of the corner of the crib. It's tempting, because they look so cute, but they can be a strangulation hazard.
• Don't exceed the recommended age or weight limits for the crib.

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A portable or travel crib that was perfectly safe last week could be an accident waiting to happen today. Make sure to...

• Regularly check locking devices to ensure that they have not become loose and are operating properly.
• Check regularly for loose or missing staples on the playpen floor plate if staples are used to attach the mesh sides to the bottom of the playpen.
• Always send in the product registration card that comes with every new baby crib. By returning the card, you ensure you'll be notified if your crib is recalled.
• Check our crib recall page for all the latest crib recall news.

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That takes care of the structural aspect of portable crib safety, but there are many infant safety standards that contribute to your baby's safe sleeping environment. These include:

• Where the baby crib is placed in the baby nursery.
• The baby crib mattress.
• The crib bedding.
• The temperature of the baby nursery.
• How you put your baby down to sleep.

Many of the following guidelines do not apply to a newborn. Don't be tempted to ignore them though. Your infant will be a wiggling, climbing, jumping toddler in no time!

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The following crib safety standards, for a safe sleeping environment, apply to full-size and portable baby cribs, as well as, bassinets and cradles.

In and Around the Baby Crib

• Do not hang wall-hangings, pictures, mirrors or shelves on the wall above the crib. These can fall on your baby or he can pull these things down on himself.
• Do not place the crib near a window or a heater.
• Keep window drapes and cords away from the crib.
• Window cords pose a serious strangulation hazard and should be tied down or the loop cut to form two loose cords.
• Remove all rattles, teethers, squeeze toys etc. from the crib for sleep time.
• Do not tie pacifiers or teethers around your baby's neck.
• Remove your baby's bib before sleep.
• Never use strings to hang any object, toy or mobile on or near the baby crib.
• Baby Crib Gyms - make sure to secure both ends so that it cannot be pulled into the crib.
• Hanging mobiles should be out of your baby's reach.
• Make sure baby lamps, climbable furniture and other items are out of your baby's reach.
• Remove all extra blankets, quilts, soft toys etc. from the baby crib when laying your baby down to sleep. These pose a suffocation hazard for her and a climbing hazard when she becomes a toddler. You can always hang your comforter on the wall as a wall-hanging.
• Make sure you are aware of baby bedding and crib bumper safety guidelines.
• Follow baby crib mattress safety guidelines.
• Read up on safe sleep practices for SIDS prevention.

Keep the following crib safety standards in mind for safety as baby grows and grows...

Don't under-estimate their resourcefulness in this regard.

I'm quite sure that the saying "where there's a will, there's a way" was coined by a very perplexed mother with a curious and ingenious toddler.
• Stop using your portable crib, travel crib or playpen before your baby is able to release the locking devices and collapse it.
• Remove crib bumpers, mobiles and gyms when baby is 5 months old or beginning to get up on his hands and knees - whichever is earlier. You don't want any climbing.
• Stop using a crib when your baby reaches 35 inches in height (or sooner if she is learning to climb out of the crib! My eldest was only fifteen months old when she went climbing!)
• Stop using your portable crib, travel crib or playpen when your baby reaches 15kg.

And that's it - except to say that baby crib safety standards for portable cribs, travel cribs and playpens are of paramount importance to the well being of your baby. Please give your delicate, little newborn the environment he deserves so that he can sleep safely.

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