Bumper Pads

Picture from Google Images

The above image is adorable.  I love owls.  And a nursery with owls?  That's great.  But what concerns me is that the crib has bumper pads.  The American Academy of Pediatrics had recommended for years that parents not use bumper pads in cribs due to the increased risk of SIDS.  In 2010 they came out with their official ruling mandating that there should be nothing extra in the crib, including bumper pads.

For the last three years I've worked with low income families with children aged birth to three.  My job is great because I get to do a lot of education, especially with teen moms.   Even though my job is to educate, I think I do a pretty good job of turning it off when I'm with family and friends.  I don't tell my friend to stop using flashcards with her one year old or make judgment calls about how another disciplines.  I just smile, because I know everyone has to figure out what works for their family on their own.  It's not my business.  But when I see my friends and family practicing something that could be potentially fatal, it scares me.  I worry.  I want to call people outright on it, but I don't know where the line is.  So that's why I'm blogging about it.  :)  And I did post on Facebook, haha.

If in doubt, please take out your bumper pads.  According to the AAP, "there is no evidence that crib bumpers protect against injury, but they do carry a potential risk of suffocation, strangulation, or entrapment because infants lack the motor skills or strength to turn their heads should they roll into something that obstructs their breathing."  I know it seems trivial or pointless, but I think it is a small thing someone can do to make sure they have no doubt about the health of a child.