Fact Friday: Crib Bumpers are more harm than good

Parents will soon hear from their pediatricians that bumper pads should not be used in cribs because babies can suffocate against or be strangled by the popular bedding product.The American Academy of Pediatrics set the guideline for its physicians as part of updated policies to create safer sleep environments for babies and reduce the risk of sudden infant death syndrome, or SIDS. To read more about this article and the new guidelines click here. Here is part of the article with some great "FACTS". Remember to talk to your pediatrician if you have any questions.

Every five years the pediatrics academy updates its official policies, which serve as a guide to pediatricians and other medical professionals throughout the country. Previously, the policies stated that if crib bumpers were used, they should be thin, firm, well secured and not "pillow-like" — a vague term that irked safe-sleep experts and SIDS groups.

"It was just confusing," said Nancy Cowles, director of Kids in Danger, a safety advocacy group. "I think this clarifies things — bare is best."

In a statement, the academy said that although the number of deaths associated with sudden infant death syndrome has declined in the last two decades, sleep-related deaths from suffocation, entrapment and asphyxia have increased.

Besides stating that bumper pads should not be used, the group also recommended that babies always sleep on a firm surface, not in car seats or other products that babies sit in. Wedges and positioners shouldn't be used, and the policies recommend breast-feeding and immunizations to reduce SIDS deaths

Info from AAP and http://www.chicagotribune.com/health/ct-met-crib-bumper-warning-20111018,0,1998372.story