To Bumper or not to Bumper
I own an infant bedding and room decor company, so this "outlawed bumpers" issue is as close to the
bone as things can get. As a manufacturer of said, "outlawed item", I
would like to say a few words.
Let me start by saying... I would like to see STRICT standards for
bumper constructions. I believe BUMPERS can be safe if used correctly.
How can an entire city outlaw a sleep object without even having grounds or evidence to do so? If anyone says anything counter to the efforts that the governing forces are attempting, we would seem like we don't care about babies or what happens to babies, but that is wrong. I am ALL FOR doing detailed tests on bumpers. YES! Let's do just that! Let's prove what a safe bumper construction looks like and make it the standard for ALL bumpers within the industry. Instead, there are gonvernment officials who have outlawed something like it's an illegal drug! without conclusive evidence.
I am going to step out on a limb here- it seems to be WRONG and overly
regulated to completely outlaw something based on allegations- without testing
properly & investigating properly to prove that the allegations have
grounds. It could be MORE dangerous to have hard wood railings close to a baby's head
and limbs.
Think about it- how many babies will go to sleep in cribs with wood railings
and wood headboards that are hard and possibly dangerous for baby? Maybe a
bumper would be safer? What proof is there that air
circulation is stopped in a crib with bumpers? That is absurd! Air is all
around us; it does not stop at the top of a crib because it has bumpers on the
sides! If anything- baby is kept warmer with bumpers, while the air around them
is still breathable.
As I said, I would like to see STRICT standards for
bumper constructions. I believe BUMPERS can be safe if used correctly and
if the government is going to say otherwise, then they need to PROVE what IS
safest while a baby sleeps in a crib- PROOF is what the induistry and consumers want and need.
What are other countries doing to put baby to sleep? Bumpers are used in
England, throughout Europe and Asia. Many of those bumpers are taller than what
we see here in the USA, and only wrap around ½ the crib... might this be a
safer bumper? What about sleeping bags? Those have been used in Europe for
many, many years! Only recently have we started to see them here in the USA- we
are not necessarily on top of it- and we should not be so arrogant as to think
we know better than any other country what is best.
I urge our government officials and medical experts to take a step in the RIGHT
direction with appropriate and complete testing. I sincerely hope we can do the right thing, what matters
most is what is safest, by PROVING what is safe!
Let's talk - please comment and share what you think and know about this hot
topic!
Caro commented:
Great cmomon sense here. Wish I'd thought of that.
Lautaro commented:
Specialists say not to use them becuase of the risk of suffocation and intanglement. However, if you decide to use it off when the baby moves around quite easily to get to it!
Christine commented:
I too am very interested in this topic. I would love to review the evidence of infant deaths related to crib bumpers. I have not been able to find any. Can you please provide links to sources?
I agree that strict manufacturing and proper use guidelines for bumpers is a great step to ensure safety. I think this is a better step then banning all bumpers as they do serve a valuable purpose in ensuring safety against injury. Perhaps a recommended timeframe for bumper use would be helpful. I understand that some may have concerns about bumpers for newborn infants.
Have the medical and government experts considered recommending bumper use for children 3 months and older? Once the child grows they are more active and the bumpers can provide valuable safety and protection against entrapment in spindles and bumps and bruises. You would not ban airbags in cars because they are not safe for an infant. You just dont use them until the child is older and the safety benefits can be realized.
Does it really need to be an all or nothing proposition on bumpers?
Nicole commented:
Now, I am against unnecessary and costly regulations. However, the AAP is a scientific organization. Don't you think it would conduct all necessary research before issuing a recommendation that would surely be met with much criticism?
Debbie commented:
Being in the infant industry as well I am being asked daily "what do you think about this bumper thing?" I answer by saying "I believe that you and your spouse are just now starting the job of making decisions for your own family. You will be doing this for the rest of your lives. You will make decisions for your family that will be your own and not the same as the couple down the street. This is one of the many things that makes YOUR FAMILY YOUR FAMILY." This generation is being belittled by the Government. They are smart enough to go to great Schools, have great careers, but not to be parents?? Who educated all the generations of parents in the past? God has put in us the natural instinct to take care of our children, where is common sense? Is the government saying this generation has none? Didn't their parents raise them to be able to think for themselves? I would like to see some research done on all the therapy that is now needed for the children being born within the last few years because they never learned normal motor skills because they never got strength in their arms or legs because they were on their backs all the time. How about flat head syndrome and helmets?? We even now insist on putting babies in sacks that keep them from being able to stand at a normal pace. In the seventeen years that I have been in business, I have seen a steady decline in children crawling and sitting up by themselves. Seems we have taken away this natural process all in the name of safety? Now, with the new laws, I wonder will we actually be making things safer. Maybe just more dependent on therapy or help to do the natural things. I too would like to see the evidence that proves that children are actually dying in bumpers. And the airflow point, come on, how many women walk their babies in their bugaboos or buggy type strollers, go for an hour walk, find baby to be sound asleep when they return home, and then instead of waking them, they let them continue their nap. As Bridgette stated, air is all around us. Seems to me we are losing our common sense! Really folks airflow? And I agree with Bridgette on the laws regulating such things as sleepwear. When a customer asks me if the mattress I sell meets necessary fire regulations, I of course let them know that it does, however, if a fire is that close to your baby that it will burn the mattress, smoke inhalation will have probably already taken the life of your child. It's time to stand up to this scare tactic in our country and start encouraging the young people of today that they will be good parents. Not perfect parents, because no one is, not even mine! BUT they will be good parents to THEIR child!
Bridget Kelly commented:
Hi Jeanine, thank you so much for your feedback and contribution on this discussion. This kind of feedback opens the dialog we need to have. I think a big problem is that there is no way to prove that BUMPERS are the cause of the problem- most folks are still putting BLANKETS and pillows and soft toys in the crib- and these things could be the cause just as much as any other soft object that is put in the crib- yet the bumpers seem to be the focus, yet bumpers should be securely tied to the sides of a crib, - how do we know that the cause is to be blamed on bumpers? shouldn't we have the facts?
Bridget Kelly commented:
Hi Jeanine, thank you so much for your feedback and contribution on this discussion. This kind of feedback opens the dialog we need to have. I think a big problem is that there is no way to prove that BUMPERS are the cause of the problem- most folks are still putting BLANKETS and pillows and soft toys in the crib- and these things could be the cause just as much as any other soft object that is put in the crib- yet the bumpers seem to be the focus, yet bumpers should be securely tied to the sides of a crib, - how do we know that the cause is to be blamed on bumpers? shouldn't we have the facts?
Jeanine commented:
There is ample evidence of infant deaths associated with soft bedding including bumpers which obstruct infant airways and cause rapid or slow suffocation accumulated over the last 30 years. I say the US government is leading the way in helping parents to choose their nursery equipment that will minimise risk to their infants
Jeanine commented:
There is ample evidence of infant deaths associated with soft bedding including bumpers which obstruct infant airways and cause rapid or slow suffocation accumulated over the last 30 years. I say the US government is leading the way in helping parents to choose their nursery equipment that will minimise risk to their infants
