My One Minute Rant on Crib Bumpers...

I was browsing the web this morning, innocently looking for ideas for a baby shower that I will be hosting...and I was surprised (and kinda' irritated) that one site which included a list of gift ideas recommended crib bumpers as a possible gift idea for the mom-to-be.

HUH? {scratching my head}

Crib bumpers? Really? Even after  the Academy of Pediatrics, the Consumer Product Safety Commission, First Candle/National SIDS Alliance, and the National Institute of Child Health & Human Development all recommend AGAINST using them? Now, perhaps the writer on this particular website didn't know about this. Or perhaps she was referring to the newer "breathable" bumpers (but based on the context, I doubt it). In either case, I am surprised that bumpers were recommended as a baby gift. I was even more surprised to see how many retailers are still selling those thick, fluffy bumpers.

I hope that hospitals, birthing instructors, social service agencies, child care centers, and other agencies working with parents are informed about crib safety and that they are more importantly, educating parents! Hopefully agencies that work with minority populations are also committed to educating others on crib safety because there is some racial disparity when it comes to infant mortality rates.

Also read: Crib Bumper Pads: Are They Safe?

Ok... I'm off of my soap box now. What's the point of having a blog if you can't rant once in a while ;-)?

Be safe people...and protect our little ones who are too young to protect themselves!