Infant Sleep Safety Tips
Safety Tips from Safe Kids USA

• Babies should never sleep on couches, chairs, regular beds or other soft surfaces. Babies should never share a bed or couch with a sibling, parent or caregiver.
• Remove pillows, comforters, stuffed toys and other soft products from the crib before putting the baby to sleep.
• Lay babies on their backs, facing up.
• Make sure the baby's crib has a firm, tight-fitting mattress (no more than two fingers of space between crib and mattress) and that it is free of all plastic wrappings.
• Use tight-fitting bottom sheets that are made for crib mattresses.  Never use adult sheets as a substitution.
• For warmth, use infant sleepwear or crib-sized blankets tucked under the mattress so they do not reach above the baby's chest. Do not use adult-sized blankets.
• Pacifiers should never be attached to strings or ribbons around the baby's neck or to their clothing.

Crib Safety Tips
Safety Tips from Safe Kids USA

Jan. 15, 2009 -- In the recent past there have been numerous recalls of child safety products that are used when children are sleeping. Understandably, parents are concerned about these recalls as they relate to a place in the home - their bed - where a child spends a majority of their time. Parents should feel confident that their children are safe in their cribs at all times. Here are some ways to decrease anxiety and increase safety for children in cribs:

• Buy a crib that meets all current national safety standards. Corner posts should be 1/16 inch or shorter and they should be the same height as the end panels. The distance between crib slats should be 2 3/8 inches or less and the crib shouldn't have sharp or jagged edges.
• Check the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) website (www.cpsc.gov) to make sure that the crib has not been recalled and sign up to receive any future crib recall notices.
• Parents should not use any crib with missing, broken or loose parts. Hardware should be inspected from time to time and tightened to keep the crib sturdy.
• Lay babies on their backs, facing up.
• Remove pillows, comforters, stuffed toys and other soft products from the crib before putting the baby to sleep.