Crib Bumpers on the Bubble

Things change quickly in the world of baby gear. Some things considered safe when my first child was born in early 2008 are now up for debate.

The latest concern on the home front is the use of crib bumpers, those pads that attach to the crib rails that are designed to protect a baby’s head from bumping against the hard wooden frame.

As I was driving home from work on Friday, I heard a report on WYPR saying that the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene is now trying to determine the safety of crib bumpers and whether they should be considered “hazardous materials,” as this Tribune story reports. The concern is that babies could asphyxiate if they get caught up in the cushions and can’t free themselves.

The DHMH has formed an advisory panel of medical experts and is seeking public input on the bumpers, for which there is limited safety data.

“In evaluating the safety of crib bumper pads, it is important to start with the facts,” said Joshua M. Sharfstein, secretary of DHMH, in a statement. “Our goal is a science-based policy that protects infants from harm.”

We have a bumper in our son’s crib right now and we used one when Lucy, now 3, was a baby. Without the bumper, Isaac gets his feet stuck between the crib rails, which is of course the lesser evil when it comes to what can go wrong with a bumper.

Knock on wood, we haven’t had any problems using a bumper. Then again, neither child slept in a crib when they were tiny infants, when I assume that becoming entangled would be a greater concern.

For the first few months, both kids slept nearby in our bedroom in a co-sleeper designed for infants. We didn’t use blankets when they were tiny – in fact, by the time Isaac came along last spring, someone invented these nifty sleep sacks that negate the need for blankets and even have an embroidered reminder to parents to put their babies to sleep on their backs, the latest recommendation to prevent sudden infant death syndrome, or SIDS.

Crib bumpers are one of many safety concerns that parents always have to keep in mind and often wring their hands about whether they are doing the right thing. The rules change so quickly that it’s hard to keep up.

The bottles we used for Lucy contained Bisphenol A, commonly referred to as BPA, but most stores won’t sell bottles with that particular industrial chemical in them anymore after several countries (though not ours) banned its use in baby bottles. The foam sleep positioner we used for Lucy is no longer acceptable. The blankets we send to daycare for Isaac, who is nearly 1 year old, must meet very specific guidelines – they must be lightweight cotton and long enough to be tucked snuggly beneath the mattress. And the American Academy of Pediatrics recently decreed that , or even longer if they reach age 2 and still fall below the maximum height and weight allowed for their particular safety seat.

There’s a lot for busy parents to keep track of, but that’s our job, to keep our children safe using the best information that’s available to us. To offer you input regarding crib bumpers, submit your comments by mail to Michele Phinney, Director, DHMH Office of Regulation and Policy Coordination, 201 W. Preston St., Room 512, Baltimore, MD 21201, or by e-mail to regs@dhmh.state.md.us, or by fax to 410-767-6483. Individuals may also call 410-767-6499. Comments must be submitted by May 9.