Home is Where.. Accidents Happen

Since, most accidents occur within the home, it’s not surprising that 26 infants are injured daily in crib, bassinet and playpen accidents. The March issue Pediatrics, published by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) featured a series of studies on these injuries.

Researchers studied children under the age of two who had been brought into an emergency room. “The majority of these injuries involved cribs, and the most common type of injury involved falls,” according to the study, “Injuries Associated with Cribs, Playpens, and Bassinets Among Young Children in the United States, 1990-2008.”

When it comes to children, injuries are going to happen, no matter how vigilant you are. I know this many times over. My younger brother hopped to the top of our sofa while humming the theme song from the Batman cartoon. Before we could get across the room,  he was flying like a superhero, or so he thought. Instead he landed with his chin hitting the corner of a coffee table. ER visit.

Many years later, I found myself running across the yard as my preschooler scrambled atop our backyard picnic table. I had flashbacks to my brother, so I anticipated what was to come, but I couldn’t run fast enough. Sure enough, she took a leap off the picnic table, face smashing into the concrete pad of our patio.

From infant to toddler to preschooler to teenager, kids zig just when you think they are going to zag. It’s tougher to anticipate things once they are mobile, so you to do the best you can to mitigate damage sometimes. With infants in cribs, bassinets and playpens, you have a chance in prevention since kids under the age of two aren’t really making premeditated decisions to jump out of the devices.

Borrowed hand-me-downs are not the best bet with these items since safety guidelines change rapidly. Below is a checklist of things that have been known to cause injuries to infants regarding playpens, cribs and bassinets. Also check cribs at the homes of grandparents, daycare providers and the like.

•  Look for solid construction. No loose parts, splintered wood. No visible screws or nails.
• Avoid decorations. An infant will eventually pull them off.
• With a crib, no fancy cutouts at the head or foot of the crib. The child may get stuck.
• Don’t adapt an adult sheet. Use snug, fitted sheets so infants don’t become entangled in loose fabric.
• Mattresses and padding should extend the total length and width of the device. Gaps leave room for an infant’s head to get caught, leading to suffocation.
• Crib slats should be less than 2 3/8 inches apart.
• Once a child can stand, lower the mattress to its lowest setting to avoid climbing and fall accidents.
• Remove the crib bumpers once the child can stand, to avoid it being a climbing tool.
• Check all soft toys, pillows, etc. for possibility of loose fabric that could lead to suffocation.
• Check mobiles and toys for strings and remove anything over seven inches. When the child begins to stand, remove mobiles.
• Don’t place items near draperies or blinds (cords) or near walls with hanging decorations.

 Even if you’re a new, timid parent, the instinct to protect your child kicks in quickly. If you’ve done all you can to prevent a problem, when an injury occurs, don’t assume you could have avoided it. You have a better chance of catching a speeding bullet between your teeth.