Safety guidelines are important to know and understand before undergoing the simple process of purchasing crib bedding for your new baby. Several child safety organizations have issued recommendations for the selection and use of crib bedding. Newborns are unable to protect themselves from suffocation so there are guidelines in place to promote their safety.

They believe that infants should not have soft bedding in the crib, and that they should sleep on their backs. Extras in the crib such as blankets, toys and decorative pillows might be adorable, but babies should never have soft bedding items in the crib with them. If you follow this guidance, the only materials in the crib should be the mattress and fitted sheets. For safety reasons, blankets placed in cribs need to be well-secured near the end of the crib and should not come up higher than the baby’s chest.

There is no established consensus as to whether or not cribs should have bumpers; even if they are fastened tightly to the rails so that there is no risk of suffocation, some pediatricians maintain that having them in the crib can restrict airflow. Problems with bumpers have led to the production of many alternate methods. The confusion over crib bumpers in part stems from the fact that even now they are packaged together with most baby bedding. Due to inconsistent information and biased opinions regarding crib bumpers, parents should simply use their best judgement and decide whether they want to use one or not.

You should follow the American Academy of Pediatrics guidance on keeping crib bedding to a minimum for the baby’s first year, until the child can move enough to keep bedding out of his or her face. Before your baby is a year old,you may need to make some changes to his crib bedding to ensure safety. Once babies are able to sit upright–and certainly by the time they can pull up to standing–the mattress height should be lowered and any items which can be used as steps should be removed. A crib bumper is easily used as a foothold; it should be removed to keep the baby from climbing out of the crib.

Comfortable bedding items can be placed in a child’s crib after age 1, when the risk of SIDS decreases. You can also find blankets or a bed skirt to go with your baby rooms. Child-sized fuzzy blankets are great for snuggling as well as providing warmth. While pillows act as a companion for many children under the age group of 2,most children prefer stuffed toys with them at night.

Dorothea is a writer and researcher on parenting and family issues. She also works part-time as a freelance writer for Your Baby Bedding.