I’ve read that they can cause SIDS but I asked some other mothers-to-be today along with some of the nurses and they said they are fine, one nurse said that around just the top, where baby’s head will be, is fine and what she used with all her children.
[name_f]My[/name_f] mother made me a bumper pad for the crib that matches the curtains in my daughters room. Used it with my first daughter and will use it with my second. After my first daughter was born, the mesh style ones that were “safer” started coming out a lot. It’s really not something I’m very worried about.
I had some made for me as well. I used them until he could start to roll around, then I put up the mesh ones. I think the regular ones are probably fine, but I freak out about SIDS and suffocation, so for me personally, better safe than sorry. I may use them again when he is old enough to have blankets and pillows and is more coordinated with moving things away from his face.
The reason that bumpers are considered a SIDS risk is not just bc of the suffocation risk. That is also a factor, but my understanding is that the main risk is that the bumpers impede air flow around the baby. This can create a sort of valley of carbon dioxide around the baby, which the infant then re-breathes, which can then lead to SIDS. This is also one of the reasons that co-sleeping with adult bedding is dangerous, and why nurseries/cribs/cots need good air flow, b.c of the potential creation of these breathed-out air valleys.
When babies get older, they can also use the bumpers as a step stool to help climb out of the crib.
I never used bumpers when my son was a new baby. At some point, he started waking up having stuck arms or legs out of the crib bars, then I got the mesh ones. However, they didn’t seem to help, he just stuck his limbs out higher up. He has always been a very active sleeper. Anyhow, I got rid of the mesh bumpers and he figured out where the bars were and stopped getting stuck after a week or so.
I probably wouldn’t just based on the hassle to get one. But, I’ve known some people in other states who have used them and love them for their kids. One child in particular would sleep completely pressed up to the crib and wake up with temporary marks on her face. The bumpers really helped in that situation.
On the NHS website (I’m in the UK) it says ‘Cot bumpers are not recommended because babies can overheat or get tangled in the fastenings’. I know the risks are minor, but I think not having them is one less thing to worry about! Plus, even a slight increased risk level scares me, not worth it at all in my opinion. It doesn’t recommend pillows or a duvet either on this webpage, all it recommends are sheets and a light blanket. I’ve bought some [name_u]Aden[/name_u] & [name_f]Anais[/name_f] muslin cot sheets and 2 different minky blankets for baby, hopefully that’s ok for now!
I wouldn’t put them on the cot just because of the risks, although minor I doubt I could sleep at night due to worry. I’d definitely get the mesh cot bumpers because, not only do they look kinda funky, they’re a lot safer. I’d definitely not do co-sleeping either, the risks with that are worrying too.
They are not safe. Why take the risk? For looks? They don’t even sell them in Europe because they are so dangerous. Your child’s safety is way more important than the pretty look of the crib.
I wasn’t intending to buy them for it to look pretty, I wanted to do it so she wouldn’t get her arm or leg caught in it during the night and hurt herself, we’ve bought a mesh one for that reason. [name_f]My[/name_f] daughters safety and well being is my number one priority, always.
I’m a paediatric nurse and an expectant mother. We won’t be using cot bumpers with our baby. For sleeping environment, the current sleep recommendations here in Australia are that baby sleeps with feet to the bottom of the cot, with securely tucked in sheets, no soft beddings, pillows, toys, or anything else in the cot that could pose a suffocation risk, baby’s head and face remain uncovered, and baby has their own place to sleep instead of sharing with an adult or other children. For more information, the SIDS and Kids website has some good information sheets: http://www.sidsandkids.org/safe-sleeping/
We didn’t buy one at first because we were aware of the risks, and while we didn’t know much about it, we just decided to be safe and not use one. But once she got older, she moved around more while she slept and I went in once and found one of her legs and one arm through the bars and from then on, I was worried about her getting them stuck. [name_f]My[/name_f] husband wanted to buy a normal bumper that went with the bedding we have, but I was nervous about her putting her face to it (she moved around quite a lot) and suffocating, so we bought an Airwrap Mesh bumper (http://www.johnlewis.com/airwrap-mesh-cot-system-4-sided/p231391274), so she couldn’t get her limbs stuck in the bars and we also didn’t have to worry about her having her face up against it while she slept.