Why do companies bother to include bumper and quilt when it's a SIDS hazard?

agent79@me.com

I don't understand why companies sell bumpers and quilts when it's so hazardous to baby. Sure, they want to squeeze every penny out of the consumer, but really? Nobody uses them, except for the photos they post online.....???

 

I have a crib skirt and a fitted sheet on my crib right now, and it cost me $40. I think spending $200 on a "set" when you are only using the sheet and skirt is lame. If only more companies sold these items a la carte.....

 

Sorry, just had to vent. Some things are so dumb it pisses me off.  

 

ps- they sell mesh bumpers that baby can breathe through if you truly want to prevent legs from getting stuck between the bars.  

AKBrideinMD

I wish they sold them a la carte too. I could never find a crib skirt matching something that I liked sold separately. I eventually decided on a crib that didn't need a skirt anyways, so I just bought sheets and a small receiving blanket to match. I'm sure they sell it because they know people will spend the $$. But it is frustrating!

Rolamarie

I use a bumper now that DD is big enough to get out of trouble. It's very helpful for avoiding cracks on the head. But, that's a personal decision.

We also lay her quilt on the floor as a playmat, so I have used both of those pieces.

If you don't plan on using either though, you're right, it probably is annoying.

ermaderma

agent79@me.com:

I don't understand why companies sell bumpers and quilts when it's so hazardous to baby. Sure, they want to squeeze every penny out of the consumer, but really? Nobody uses them, except for the photos they post online.....???

 

I have a crib skirt and a fitted sheet on my crib right now, and it cost me $40. I think spending $200 on a "set" when you are only using the sheet and skirt is lame. If only more companies sold these items a la carte.....

 

Sorry, just had to vent. Some things are so dumb it pisses me off.  

 

ps- they sell mesh bumpers that baby can breathe through if you truly want to prevent legs from getting stuck between the bars.  

Ding Ding Ding!

Although I will say that the quilt could be useful for tummy time. And i've heard of people using it as a wall hanging.

But the bumper thing is one that really gets me. Although, I know the Attorney General in IL is trying to halt the sale and manufacture of regular bumpers because it isn't just a SIDS risk - it is a suffocation risk. They have been directly linked as a primary cause of suffocation for multiple babies and the US Consumer Product Safety Commission never investigated until now.

meg211

I'm with you, I'm just buying sheets and going to attempt to make a bed skirt from some pretty fabric I found.

But for those who have purchased full sets, I've heard of people cutting up the bumper into squares and making them into wall hangings. 

CocoBrynne

I hate that as well!  Pottery Barn Kids and Land of Nod both sell a la carte and have really cute patterns. 

lynelise04

Its a money thing for sure.

BUT to be honest, most people have no clue about them being a safety haz. We used one. My child is fine. had i known about it, we would have removed it. I relized this, and did some research around 8 months. I removed it, but then she started losing her paci thru the cracks adn couldnt find it. I put it back in, as at this point, she was rolling, crawling, sitting herself up in the crib. So i took what i knew from research and made a decision that worked best for us.

Cilley

Makes me crazy! We got a whole bedding set on sale for LO#1, but still only used the sheet and crib skirt. Still a waste of money. This time around I am going to buy the crib sheet and having either grandma or one of DH's aunts sew the crib skirt. The Breathable Bumpers are great!

luvbeingmom

they'll sell them as long as they're not illegal. that could go for a lot of baby items. plus since a reason for SIDS hasn't actually been discovered yet, they can't pinpoint the direct cause, they're just going to keep selling them...

 i've used a bumper with all my kids, but the recommendations didn't come out until shortly after i had my 5yr old i think.

i had a hard enough time finding bedding sets that didn't include curtains and valances and all that, and still be in my budget!

snansley

The decision to use bumpers and quilts (in whatever manner you choose- decoration or function) will be different for different people.  No one is forcing you to get a bedding set.

Megan.10.06

snansley:

The decision to use bumpers and quilts (in whatever manner you choose- decoration or function) will be different for different people.  No one is forcing you to get a bedding set.

Exactly.

Not to mention, my 20 month old is still in his crib.  He uses his comforter now too.  The sets also transition over to toddler beds.  

ablou

We ended up using our bumpers for a few months when Bean was bonking his head (really hard!) on his crib.  We also used the blanket for playtime.  I now use the blanket folded on the arm of the rocking chair as an armpad. 

tjmtjm

I plan on putting the bumpers in once LO is out of the "soft bedding" risk time period. (I think that's around 6 months?)  I also plan to use the quilt as a wall hanging until that time as well.

I only spent $50 on my bedding set (got it on sale, discounted because it was discontinued), which is still considerable expense when I really COULD just get crib sheets from anywhere and LO would be set. (And lets face it, I need to buy more anyway...need more than 1).  But I'm a sucker for a theme and cute dust ruffle! 

I couldn't spend $100 or $200 on a set knowing I couldn't use the bumpers and quilt right away...but again, since I didn't spend that much...it doesn't bother me.

 

barefoot barista

I put the crib bumper on the outside of the crib, it still looks really cute.  Kind of like this, but higher up so that you can still see the dust ruffle at the bottom.

I'm going to use the blanket/quilt for tummy time.

watermellens

snansley:

The decision to use bumpers and quilts (in whatever manner you choose- decoration or function) will be different for different people.  No one is forcing you to get a bedding set.

Um, yes. And I use our bumper. I opted not to buy a set but it was b/c I didn't like any of them and just pieced some things together by getting sheets, a bumper and a skirt separately. And if I did get a set, the quilt would go over the rocking chair where we have our blankets to use for snuggling and tummy time. If you don't like it, don't buy a set! 

Pookie's_Girl

Technically, they pose a suffocation hazard, not a SIDS hazard. SIDS is where an autopsy cannot provide an explanation for the cause of death, and, if they suffocate, there's a pretty clear cause right there. That being said, most babies stay in their cribs until they're at least 2 years old. And, by the time they hit 1, bumpers and blankets no longer pose much of a threat to them, so it's perfectly safe to put them in then. So, they're good for parents who still want a matching set for the long run.

LittleApple

snansley:

The decision to use bumpers and quilts (in whatever manner you choose- decoration or function) will be different for different people.  No one is forcing you to get a bedding set.

 Yup.  There are several other al la carte options out there.  I love my PBK bedding (sheets, bumper, crib skirt)  I did not get the quilt.  Waste to me.

rose1883

I'm buying the set but I'm dismantling the bumper to turn it into two window valences bc the matching window treatments are $$$ and its cheaper for me to do it this way  

kthappy76

Bumpers are also not recommended when the baby is big enough to use them to help climb out of the crib, as there is a significant risk of injury from falls.  They sell them because many people still want and buy them, either because they are unaware of the risk or they don't care.  Many/most children survive with them in the crib, but that doesn't mean they are necessary or a good idea.  Bedding manufacturers make a lot of money from these and are the lobby that is fighting the desire to make them illegal.