A portable crib can be a godsend when traveling with a small child. Portable cribs offer the benefit of providing a safe, comfortable, and familiar place for your small child to nap or play. Portable cribs are built to be easy to carry and often are sold with their own carrying case. Perhaps one of the best benefits of owning a portable crib is that they are small enough to fit in the trunk of a car.
Many of the same recommendations for crib safety apply to portable cribs; however, you should also keep the following in mind when buying a one.
Portable cribs can present choking or entanglement hazards; head entrapment or suffocation risks; and the risk of injury from tipping when legs on the product become loose and separate. Risks can be reduced or eliminated by avoiding the potential problems listed below.
The first thing to avoid, especially when purchasing a second hand portable crib, is buying a crib that is on a recall list. There have been several models of portable cribs recalled by manufacturers because of fatal accidents. Some of these models are still sold with safety equipment added that consumers must install themselves. Most recalled models have been removed from store shelves, but it is wise to always check recall notices before buying, especially when purchasing a used crib.
Avoid loose or large weave mesh that would allow small fingers, toes, buttons, and snaps to poke through and get stuck. Mesh weave should be no larger than 1/4 inch. There should be no tears, holes, or loose threads. Tears and loose fabric can present a strangulation hazard.
Check for catch points. Avoid portable cribs with protruding rivets, metal nuts or bolts. Make sure there are no knobs or wing nuts on the outside legs of the crib. Protruding catch points present a strangulation hazard because a small child may catch clothing on a piece of hardware in an attempt to climb out of the crib.
Check the hinges carefully. Avoid hinges that do not lock tight. Put some weight on the hinge. If it does not seem strong enough or seems that a small child could manipulate the lock by turning and loosening it avoid that model. Many portable crib fatalities have occurred when the locks have unlocked and the crib has folded down on a child. The fabric sides of portable cribs are comparable to playpens and can cause suffocation if a wall collapses or is left down.
Check the mattress padding and cover. Make sure the mattress is well padded while still meeting current safety requirements. The thickness of a mattress pad in a portable crib should not exceed 1 inch. Mattresses should be soft but firm to reduce the risk of SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome). Do not use an additional mattress or padding. Infants can get tangled up in extra padding and suffocate. Avoid cribs with very thin vinyl mattress covers that can be easily torn. Children can eat the mattress stuffing and choke.
Measure the height of the portable crib. The top rail should be at least 22 inches from the floor to help prevent a small child from climbing out.
Follow all the advice provided here when buying a portable crib and you can relax and enjoy having a great place for your baby to rest safely when traveling.
