Ba Cribs, and Why They’re Critical For Your Little One

Tuesday, June 21st, 2011 at 2:04 pm

Ba Cribs, and Why They're Critical For Your Little One

Article by Glenn Gary

A baby crib, also known as infant bed, is one of the many things that new and expecting parents think about when preparing for their child. It is important because it serves as the baby's first sanctuary.

It is the place wherein they will have all the activities as an infant such as eating, sleeping, hearing, and observing their surroundings.

Since it would be the baby's sanctuary, we should make sure that the baby is comfortable and safe. When buying a crib, there are different factors to consider.

First thing to consider is the safety of the baby. In the United States of America, the Consumer Product Safety Commission advised the people to buy a new, full-size crib made after the year 1973 that is JPMA-certified (Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association) or certified to meet the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) voluntary standards.

Assemble the crib properly and make sure that no parts are loose or broken and check if it doesn't have any cutouts in the headboard or foot board, in which the baby's head could get trapped, and doesn't have decorative knobs or corner-posts that are higher than 1/16 inch. Avoid putting stuffed toys, pillows, heavy blankets, stuffed animals, or other soft bedding in the crib with your baby to be safe from suffocation hazards or crib death which is also known as "Sudden Infant Death Syndrome"(SIDS).

It is also necessary to look for the best area for the crib. As much as possible, avoid putting the baby crib near to the window or Venetian blinds to avoid injuries.

Along with the baby crib is the mattress and crib bedding. It is important to make sure that the mattress fits perfectly in the crib; there should be no space between the crib and the mattress.

Their skin is very sensitive that's why we need to choose a crib bedding which is soft and is made of fine, high quality fabric; this is to avoid skin irritations.

Use sheets that will not caused irritations to the baby's skin like knit cotton sheets, flannel crib sheets, and higher thread-count woven cottons. The sheets you use in your baby crib should fit properly and do not slip and slide.

Every parent wants their baby's crib to look unique and nice. There are some who are very much particular with the designs and features.

Nowadays, there are convertible baby cribs. These cribs have multifunctional purposes or commonly called 3-in-1 baby cribs.

One of the best features of the said crib is that it has removable parts that give it its transformation characteristics. It also helps the baby not getting trouble adapting to transitions such as from crib to a large bed.

On top of that, convertible baby cribs are certified by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) because of its security features. According to experts, this feature can be useful and can extend the life of a crib because some parents use the crib from babies to toddlers.

Moreover, some baby cribs have a caster wheel which is also a useful feature. It helps in moving the crib easily all over the house or room.

Another benefit of this feature is that it gives comfort to parents while taking care of their babies. Some parents especially those who are working said that with caster wheels, they an do some other things such as house chores and paper works while with the baby.

There are baby cribs that have single or double drop sides. This feature helps in transferring a sleeping baby to a crib easily.

Before using the single or double drop sides feature of your baby's crib, check its drop side mechanism and make it sure that you can operate it smoothly. One of the best things to do with it is to try it out a few times.

A baby crib is not complete without a mobile hung on it. It provides visual and audio stimulation to babies with its sweet lullabies and colorful appearance such as cartoon characters, different shapes, carousel of ponies, and others.

At present, there are lots of brands available in the market for baby cribs. There are expensive and there are less expensive.

With the existence of those brands, whatever you choose, expensive or inexpensive, keep in mind that babies should be handle with care always. Buying a baby crib for them is like buying a house in which we need to be secure, safe, and comfortable.

Glenn Gary has a PHD in elementary education and has written hundreds of articles on everything from infants to crib bedding. He is also a parent himself.Distributed by Content Crooner