You sure do see a lot of cute crib bedding sets and they almost always come with those padded crib bumper pads. But are they safe? We’re glad you asked.




No, crib bumpers (bumper pads) are not safe, are not proven to prevent injuries and are not recommended for use by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). The AAP recommends that no soft objects, including crib bumper pads, be in the crib with your baby. The reason is that these crib bumper pads can increase the risk of SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome). (Click here for the full list of AAP recommendations to reduce the risk of SIDS).

It’s true, you do see a lot of crib bumper pads for sale, in ads and in magazines. The AAP noticed this too. They also noticed a lot of improper sleep positions and other no-nos that could increase the risk of SIDS and even conducted a study on the phenomenon to try to raise awareness of the confusion and dangers it presents.

Bottom line: Don’t buy crib bumper pads! You don’t need anything in your baby’s crib.

However, as your baby becomes more mobile and begins to roll around in the crib, you might find that he or she tends to stick their arms or legs between the crib slats. This may not pose a problem at all or your baby might get stuck and wake up. If you find this happening to your baby, Answer-Wiz editors recommend these breathable mesh crib liners instead of crib bumper pads.

We’ve used these breathable mesh crib liners with our own babies and found that they do keep arms, legs and even pacifiers inside the crib. If older babies try to use it to climb out of the crib, it just collapses under their feet so they can’t use it to boost themselves up. And if baby’s face goes right up against it while sleeping, she can still breathe right through it. You can find them on Amazon here: http://amzn.to/29fYNir