Bumper Question

nilu129 · August 2012

So I got the matching bumper to the bedding set I registered for and a breathable one too. I read online though that bumpers are dangerous for the baby so my question is do I keep them? When do babies start moving around that the bumper would become a danger. FTM here so sorry if this question is stupid. Thanks

emaddock · August 2012

As cute as the bumpers are the recommendation is to not put them on the bed. I know plenty of people that have put them on and still have them on a year or two later. The recommendation is for the breathable ones. It is a choice, like anything else, on whether or not you want to put the bumpers on but just know the recommendation is to not have the regular one for suffication concerns.

Carla6394 · August 2012

From what I understand, it is an airflow issue when the baby is very little and can't move around that is the initial problem. The bumpers reduce airflow in that the child is inhaling CO2 and exhaling CO2. Bumpers haven't been necessary since 1986 when changes were made to cribs decreasing the space between the slots... before that babies were getting their heads stuck between slats. If you can't fit a pop can between the crib slats then you shouldn't need bumpers.

LittleBug1107 · August 2012

I used one with my first but the more SIDS research I did, it seemed to point to bumpers as a hazard not only for the suffocation risk once they can roll into them but because they restrict airflow in the crib which can cause SIDS (if the baby breathes in too much "recycled" air). My opinion is to go with no bumper in the beginning and then put the breathable one on when they start rolling around and getting limbs stuck between the slats..

olp920 · August 2012

Yesterday I took the real bumpers off to put the breathable bumpers on and they didn't fit my crib. It looked like way more of a safety concern than the original bumpers did. I wasn't happy about it.

HeyJune · August 2012

On the SIDS info we received from our pediatrician, NO bumpers (not even the breathable ones) are recommended. We just left them off with our first child and had no issues.

If you have a bumper that came with your bedding set, you can put it on for some cute nursery photos and then turn it into something else. I've seen all kinds of projects online for repurposing the bumper into toys, wall hangings, play mats, etc.

lupineaura · August 2012

Doctor and nurse at the infant care class I recently attended said NO bumpers. Nothing in the crib but a sheet.

Soap&Cider · August 2012

We got the matching bumper also and I am SO glad we ended up taking it off the crib! We had DD sleeping in her crib over night at around 4 weeks old. She wasn't really a big mover then, but DD's face was smoshed into the crib rail one morning. She was awake and happy and able to breathe, but had we left the bumper on the crib she would not have been able to breathe. She was slightly on her side just gumming the rail, but didn't have the control then to flip herself over properly or even turn her head in the way she would have needed to if the bumper was on. So my advice would to definitely use the breathable bumper or none at all.

quartz02 · August 2012

mssm2012:
An idea I saw was to put the matching bumper on the outside of the crib, so that the top of the bumper is slightly below the mattress. Air circulation around baby is unchanged, it looks pretty, and at least when the mattress is up high, you still see the crib skirt peeking out at the bottom.

This is what we did. It looks really cute but without the SIDS risk.

jillychris · August 2012

American Academy of Pediatrics says no to bumpers (and anything else "loose" in the crib):

https://aapnews.aappublications.org/content/29/1/28.2.full

AAP said there is "no evidence that bumper pads prevent injuries, and there is a potential risk of suffocation, strangulation or entrapment."

g8trkim · August 2012

They're not recommended at any point. Even though newborns won't roll into them they are a big SIDS risk because of lack of circulation. I say junk it or make it into a pillow.

MrsCarroll.6-10-07 · August 2012

I used it with my frist DD until she started rolling around in the crib then went to a breathable. Then with my second we just did the breathable.

I've been recommending to people that want the bumper for the look of it and the design to find someone to turn it into a fabric banner to hang on the wall instead. If it is enough material (should be) there should be plenty to turn it into a fabric flag banner. I can do this too. If you want to see a picture of what i mean on my facebook/etsy page.

milesc · August 2012

To each their own. Do what YOU think is best for your baby/family.

With that being said- I have a breathable one in her crib, and have since she was born. I have also always had a blanket in the crib with her.... Just do what you feel is 'right', no one can tell you whats right for your situation/child/family. Many people are uncomfortable with them, and make them into a valance for window, place them around the outside of the crib, or make wall decorations with them. Some ladies are uncomfortable with them until their LO starts rolling around and becomes more mobile, then they put them on.

Its all in what you feel is best...

gnomemom · August 2012

The AAP recommends no bumpers, not even breathable ones. I would consider using the fabric to make some pillows that you could put in a chair or something in your nursery.

Another interesting use for bumpers: a museum in my city recently took crib bumper donations as part of a "Sleep Safe" initiative, and volunteers turned them into little teddy bears. They donated the bears to the police department, and the officers give them out to children in distressed situations that they encounter.

Krista123105 · August 2012

We used a breathable bumper with DS until he was 18 months old, and then we put the bumper that came with his bedding set in his crib. We'll do the same with this LO.

MississippiCatfish · August 2012

I personally won't use one. I know that the risk is very small, but if my baby were to die of SIDS, I would never forgive myself for choosing to use a bumper knowing that it increases the risk, even slightly. That's just me!

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