As you prepare to bring your baby home take a hard look at your bed for baby, not from your point of view, but from your baby's! Here are some pointers for making your baby's bed a safer place.

For cribs, bassinets, and cradles:

• Be sure to place your baby on his/her side or back when sleeping.
• Make sure the crib has bars, which are no more than 2 3/8 inches apart. Many older cribs or cradles may have sentimental meaning, but just aren't safe for baby. If the bars are further apart, your baby's head may become caught between the bars.
• Make sure the mattress fits snugly against the frame of the bed. Large gaps between the frame and mattress may allow baby to slide between. You should not be able to place two fingers side by side between the mattress and the bed sides.
• A wide base is necessary for a cradle or bassinet. This will make it sturdy and more stable.
  Although cute and decorative, bumper pads, pillows, and quilts should not be used in your baby's bed.
• Eliminate stuffed toys from the baby's bed.
• Look at the placement of the bed in the room. Are there electrical cords, lamps or cords from window shades, which your baby might be able to reach?
• Don't place the crib against a window.
• The mattress should be firm. It should not have any sunken places from overuse. The mattress should be the right size for the bed you are using.
• When using a cradle or bassinet, make sure you move your baby to a regular crib when he/she is about 3-4 months old.
• Although your old crib or bassinet may not be a problem with the width of the bars, the paint on it may contain lead. Many older cribs and bassinets have paint, which does contain high levels of lead. Exposure to lead can make your baby very sick.
• Never use a basket, which was not made to be a bassinet as a bed for baby. Loose materials, such as wicker, may scratch your baby.
• Never hang toys or other objects across the rails of the bed. Your baby could get caught.

You may want to use a baby monitor to listen for your baby while he/she is sleeping. Your baby should not be sleeping with older children. Your baby should not be sleeping with any adult on an unsafe surface such as a sofa or chair or with an adult, who is alcohol or drug impaired.

These are some guidelines for a safe sleeping environment for your baby. You will rest better knowing your baby has a safer sleep area. For more information, please refer to your pediatrician or the American Academy of Pediatrics.