Nursery Safety
Creating a Safe Environment for Your Baby
An Interview with Brenda Berg
The Cradle discussed product safety with Brenda Berg, founder of Scandinavian Child and an active member of the juvenile products community. As a long-standing member of both the American Society of Testing and Materials (ASTM) Consumer Products Committee and the Juvenile Products Manufacturing Association (JPMA) Board of Directors, Brenda has dedicated herself to the pursuit of juvenile safety.
Please note: Brenda Berg is not a medical professional or an engineer. The following thoughts and recommendations are those of a well-informed mother with a good deal of industry expertise.
The Cradle: When choosing a crib, what safety features should every parent look for?
Brenda Berg: The JPMA Certification Seal! This will ensure that the crib meets current safety standards. Don’t get caught up in paying more for a lot of features. In many cases, moms don’t even use the drop side feature; but if you are particularly short, it might be useful.
The Cradle: Is there a style or type of mattress that you recommend?
Brenda Berg: Standard mattresses work with most cribs. Firm, tight-fitting mattresses are recommended in order to reduce suffocation and entrapment hazards. However, there is a growing argument to limit the off gassing chemicals that are common in most mattresses. Flammability is still a major concern and you should be sure that your mattress meets flammability standards.
Natural mattresses are a major investment, so this might not be a feasible option for all families.
(Source: Organic Baby, by Kimberly Rider, pages 23-27.)
The Cradle: What do you think is the best kind of bedding for a baby’s crib?
Brenda Berg: One fitted sheet and a crib skirt if you like the look. That’s it! You may even want to skip the skirt. Even though they look nice, most crib skirts start to drag on the floor when you lower the mattress, so you may want to find a crib that looks nice even without a skirt.
Sheets, blankets, stuffed animals, bumpers, etc. are all possible suffocation hazards. I know your baby looks lonely, but trust me when I say he is not. When babies are old enough to choose to bring a stuffed animal to bed, they are old enough to sleep with one.
The Cradle: Are bumpers a bad idea or a great way to keep boo-boos at bay?
Brenda Berg: Bad idea.
We used to hear that you should take bumpers out when a child could start climbing, so they don’t use them to get out of the crib. Then we heard it was best to take them out when a child can roll because a child can suffocate. Now we hear that they can restrict airflow for younger babies. So basically, there is never a time when they don’t present a potential danger.
