Canadian doctors say there should be no bumpers and no other soft objects in babies’ cribs.

Canadian doctors say there should be no bumpers and no other soft objects in babies’ cribs.
Photo Credit: Canadian Press/Ableimages

Crib bumpers again called dangerous

A new U.S. study confirms that Canadian doctors’ advice to keep bumper pads out of babies’ cribs is best. Sleep safety for babies is an ongoing concern and the subject of many studies in western countries.

For example, parents have long been advised to not bring babies into bed with them. Statistically, the majority of infant deaths have been found to occur among babies who slept with their parents.

Researchers call for a ban on bumpers

So, Canadian parents dutifully go out and purchase cribs with bars in hopes of keeping their babies safe. They also tend to purchase fabric bumpers to line the inside of those bars. They often do so for fear that limbs or heads may be caught in the bars.

But Canadian and U.S. health authorities say don’t do it. In fact, the recent study from the Washington University School of Medicine asked for a ban on the sale of crib bumpers after it found 23 deaths related to their use between 2006 and 2012. The researchers said there were a lack of data on the issue and inferred the number of bumper-related deaths is actually much higher.

Bumpers can suffocate babies

Canada’s national health agency warns that babies can suffocate on the crib bumpers. Health Canada also warns their heads can become trapped between the bumpers and the bars, and that the strings attaching the pads can strangle infants.

No stuffed toys either, say doctors

The U.S. Journal of Pediatrics warned against the use of bumper pads in 2007. The Canadian Paediatric Society says no soft objects should be in cribs, be they bumper pads, stuffed toys, pillows or even comforters.  Instead the advice is that babies should sleep on fitted sheets covering the mattress with perhaps a thin blanket.

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