When choosing cribs for babies, parents must carefully check on the details so both babies’ comfort and safety must be taken into consideration. Due to a large number of serious accidents related to cribs, all cribs manufactured after February 1974 are required to conform to strict safety standards. Should you plan of using an old crib which has been in the family for a long time, the crib’s features must be compared with current safety standards. It would be better to follow these guidelines when you search for cribs for babies.
To prevent babies from getting their limbs or heads caught in between slats, the ideal cribs for babies must have slats of not more than 2 3/8 inches apart to avoid injury or strangulation. Avoid putting your baby in a crib with missing spindles or slats. Carefully inspect for sharp or rough edges to make sure that serious injuries don’t occur should the baby falls against the crib.Make sure that babies could not climb out of the cribs when choosing cribs for babies. Bars or other surfaces on end panels or railings must not be present so babies can’t climb on them. The fit of the mattress is also very important in looking for cribs for babies. Mattress needs to fit snugly in the cribs for babies so kids could not manage to get their heads caught between the frame and the mattress to avoid strangulation or suffocation.
The ideal cribs for babies must have sturdy railings that even parents would find them difficult to flex. To prevent knobs from catching clothing which may result to strangulation, the corner posts should not extend over 1/16 of an inch above the end panel.Should you consider cribs for babies with drop sides, make sure that babies could not accidentally release the latches and locks to avoid fall out. While cribs for babies having drop sides are popular and convenient for parents, CPSC warned that they can present serious safety issues. It’s still safer not to choose cribs for babies with drop sides until the safety issues regarding their use are not yet hammered out.
Convertibe cribs for babies attract many parents because of their extended functionality although they are more expensive. They can be converted to toddler beds or to full-size adult beds. Despite the high price parents pay for convertible cribs for babies, they can be good long-term investment because they can be used by children until they grow up. In the long run, parents can save much by not buying different beds as children grow.
When choosing convertible cribs for babies, check the conversion kit. Some parents tend to believe that the advertised convertible cribs for babies can be automatically converted to toddler beds without needing separate parts for conversion. Conversion kits for cribs for babies are sometimes included in the purchase but some cribs require separate purchase of these kits. When an advertised convertible crib comes with unbelievably lower price, dont’ make your purchase yet. You may be forced to buy a separate conversion kit later that can cost you more than buying a crib with the kit included.