No More Crib Bumper Pads?

The warnings have been out for years: Don't put bumper pads on your baby's crib. They can cause suffocation. Don't use blankets or stuffed animals. The crib should contain a tight fitting sheet and the baby. That's it. I have been waiting for crib bumper pads to get banned. It looks like someone is finally taking steps to make it happen.

FROM NBC: They're designed to be cute and comfortable, but crib bumpers can pose a deadly danger to babies, according to Maryland state health officials. The head of Maryland's Department of Health and Mental Hygiene is calling for a ban on the sale of bumpers to save babies from potential suffocation.

Kerry Cavanaugh has the details from Baltimore. The Kotsis family welcomed baby Dio three months ago. Now, he's getting ready to move into the crib once occupied by big brother James. When mom Eleni designed the nursery, the first thing she picked out was the bedding.

"We put it on there because we were excited parents and we thought it was so cute."
The set came complete with a blanket and a padded crib bumper, designed to protect a baby from rolling into the hard crib slats.

"We had it just like this we weren't worried because he's not rolling over." But once James, now two, became mobile, his parents worried that his face may get pressed against the bumper and cut off his airflow.

"..then thought we need to get these out of here!" They did the right thing, according to state health officials. The Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene is proposing a ban on the sale of crib bumpers...deeming the nursery staples suffocation hazards.

Dr. David Fowler/Chief Medical Examiner: "You don't have to have the bumper on top of the child... close is restrictive enough." The Kotsis believe they've found a good compromise this mesh barrier that fits inside the crib.

Eleni Kotsis/Mother: "We still wanted bumpers because we were afraid the babies hands would come thru the slats or his leg could get caught. i did a little test and you can breathe thru it, felt confident baby could breathe thru it." The proposed ban doesn't distinguish between mesh and traditional bumpers. health officials say the safest way to put your child to sleep is on his back in an empty crib.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission says it's in the process of reviewing the safety of crib bumpers. The state ban, if approved, would take effect in 2013, and would make exceptions for older children or those with special needs.

-NewsAnchorMom Jen

Skin Dimensions, SB products are manufactured with Pharmaceutical-Grade ingredients. Products are not just "Feel Good Products," as they contain unique and innovative ingredients in concentrations that can assist you in the achievement of your own personal skincare objectives. Our products contain higher percentages of Glycolic, Vitamin A, C, E, Co-Q10, green tea than what you can usually purchase over the counter.

Should Bumper Pads be Banned?

I would not be upset if bumper pads were banned. Some of them are so stink'in cute, but they really serve no purpose and they can pose a suffocation risk. So, do people really need them? It has really been hammered into my head that the only thing in the crib should be the baby and a tight fitted crib sheet. I did use a bumper pad with my first two babies, but only for the first few weeks before they could roll over(which I don't recommend doing.) In case you haven't heard, there are breathable bumper pads if you are worried about your baby getting a limb stuck in between the crib railing(which has happened to my kids!) Should bulky, traditional bumper pads like the one in this picture be banned?

FROM NBC: Fluffy crib bumper pads may make a baby's nursery look adorable, but safety experts have long warned they're a potential suffocation risk for young babies. Now the Consumer Product Safety Commission has re-launched an investigation into reported deaths and injuries related to bumper pads. "Nothing in the crib, just the baby."

Carole Higgins is passionate about crib safety, educating anyone who'll listen about safe sleep positions and other ways to reduce the risk for sudden infant death syndrome. That passion comes from a painful past. Her grandson, Michael, died of SIDS when he was just 3 months old.

Carole Higgins/Grandmother:"This is such an unbelievable loss." Since Michael's death 17 years ago, Higgins has been active in SIDS prevention efforts and says crib bumper pads that are often sold in sets matching baby's bedding are suffocation hazards.

Carole Higgins/Grandmother:"There's just no purpose for them other than to look good." Infant safety experts agree and say newborns don't have the motor strength to move their heads away from obstructions. Dr. Lois Lee/Children's Hospital Boston "If their face gets wedged between a crib bumper and the mattress, there is some potential that they could suffocate and die." Now the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission is taking a closer look at the potential risks of bumpers.

Nychelle Fleming/ Consumer Product Safety Commission: "the CPSC's position has been to avoid pillowy, billowy bumpers." A 2010 CPSC report on crib bumpers revealed 10 cases where police and coroner's reports showed babies were found "suffocated in (a) corner against (the) bumper pad" or with their "face obstructed by (a) bumper pad."

But it's difficult to pin those deaths on bumpers... because the babies were also found faced down on their stomachs -- a known significant risk factor for SIDS. Nychelle Fleming - Consumer Product Safety Commission: "That's kind of what makes this a complex issue is the fact that additional factors were also included such as bedding, pillows, especially quilts and comforters." The Commission has re-launched an investigation into those deaths to see whether bumpers currently on the market deserve stronger warnings.

While national chain "Babies R Us" sells bumper pads a statement from the company says it's required its manufacturers to move from "pillowy" bumpers to firmer ones. Meanwhile Carole Higgins is adamant that the cutest thing in the crib -- and only thing in the crib -- should be the baby. The Consumer Product Safety Commission will also review the safety of bassinets and other infant products in the coming months.

-NewsAnchorMom Jen

Skin Dimensions SB products, exclusive to Soderstrom Skin Institute, are manufactured with Pharmaceutical-Grade ingredients. In addition to being "Feel Good Products," they contain unique and innovative ingredients in concentrations that can assist you in the achievement of your own personal skin care objectives. This product line contains higher percentages of Glycolic, Vitamin A, C, E, Co-Q10, green tea, than what you can purchase over the counter.