Pros and Cons of a Crib | |
---|---|
Pros | Cons |
You can use a crib for close to three years. | Cribs are generally one of the most expensive baby items. |
A variety of styles and are available and may come with matching nursery furniture. | A crib may be too big for your bedroom. |
Your baby may sleep better with more room to stretch and move. | Some babies don't sleep well in cribs because they are too large and open to feel comforting. |
Safety
Which is safer: a crib or a bassinet? Unfortunately, there is no easy answer to that question. There are safety considerations for all cribs and bassinets, but there are extra guidelines to consider if you consider buying one second-hand.
All Cribs and Bassinets
Officially, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) does not offer a recommendation for parents to use either a crib or a bassinet. But they do offer some guidance.
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that parents choose either a freestanding crib or a bassinet for their baby, and do not choose a co-sleeper or any other type of sleeping device that attaches to their bed.
The AAP also doesn't make a large distinction from a bassinet and a crib or a play yard. But no matter which parents choose, the AAP recommends that caregivers and parents follow all basic safe sleep recommendations for their baby.
AAP Recommendations
- Absolutely nothing loose in the sleeping area, which includes bedding, stuffed animals, or the infant's clothing.
- Always lay the baby down to sleep in their own crib or bassinet on their backs, never face-down or sideways.
- Do not use sleep positioners or any other type of sleeping aide.
- No bed-sharing or holding the baby sleeping in any other position, such as in a chair.
- No crib bumpers.
- Room-share with the baby until at least 6 months of age.
What do the studies say about cribs versus bassinets? One study found that bassinets may pose a slightly higher risk than cribs because due to the bassinet malfunctioning or the mechanics contributing to the death of an infant.
AAP Recommendations
What do the studies say about cribs versus bassinets? One study found that bassinets may pose a slightly higher risk than cribs because due to the bassinet malfunctioning or the mechanics contributing to the death of an infant.
A 2008 study in the Journal of Pediatrics analyzed the risk factors of 53 infants who passed away in bassinets from the years 1990 to 2004. The study found that the overwhelming majority of the deaths (85%) were attributed to anoxia, suffocation, or asphyxiation, while 9.4% of the deaths were as a result of SIDS.
There were also a high number of unsafe sleep practices involved in the deaths of the infants, however, such as the fact that 37% were placed face-down to sleep and 74% who had soft bedding in the bassinet with them. In 17% of the cases, the study concluded that "specific mechanical problems" with the bassinet were noted to be involved in the deaths of the infants.
However, the study did not conclude that bassinets as a whole should be banned or parents should never use a bassinet again. What they did recommend is that parents should always make sure that any bassinet they choose is functioning correctly and that they take extra care to make sure that they don't put anything, such as bedding, in the bassinet.
Used Cribs and Bassinets
No matter what you choose—new or used—one of the most important safety tips you can keep in mind as a parent purchasing furniture for your baby is to use extreme caution with used or hand-me-down equipment. There is a risk that used equipment could be outdated (not adhere to current safety recommendations), defective from previous use, or broken and improperly repaired.
Used cribs, in particular, are a risky item to have in your home. Slats or bars in the crib could have been broken or come loose, posing a risk that your baby's head or body slips through.
Whenever possible, you should always try to purchase new equipment, especially sleeping products such as cribs and bassinets for your baby.
Both cribs and bassinets may be broken in the process of disassembling them, moving them, or reassembling them. Even if they appear functioning at first glance, it may be difficult to tell they are not fully functional until it's too late. The Consumer Product Safety Commission advises that you never use any baby crib or bassinet that is more than 10 years old or has been modified in any way.
Drop-Side Cribs Can No Longer Be Made or Sold
However, if used equipment is all that is available to you, or you have a family member who is insistent that you use their hand-me-down, you can check for recalls and to see if the equipment adheres to the current safety regulations as outlined by the Consumer Product Safety Commission. These safety standards account for different functions and features of bassinets and cradles including:
- Flammability
- Height of the side, to prevent the baby from falling out
- Other material regulations, such as lead-based paints
- Restrictions against accidental folding of the apparatus
- Specific requirements against small parts, sharp edges, and points
- Stability, keeping in mind the bassinet or crib's ability to tip over when a sibling wants to peek at the baby
- The angle of any rocking and swinging function of the bassinet or cradle to ensure the baby does not become entangled. The federal limit is an angle of 10 degrees for the product to be classified as a bassinet.
- The spacing of any rigid components, such as bars or slats, as well as anything covered in fabric
- The weight-bearing load that the structure can hold
- Thickness of the sleeping pad, which includes any gaps between the actual sleeping pad and the sides of the bassinet
For full-size cribs, the safety standards that have to be considered also include the mattresses. The CPSC stipulates that any mattress used in a full-size crib must be at least 27.25 inches by 5.25 inches and can't be more than 6 inches thick.
How to Tell If Your Used Crib Mattress Is Safe
Which is Best?
So, if the AAP does not officially recommend either a crib or a bassinet as the safer choice, how do you choose which to use for your family? There are several factors that could go into your decision-making process, such as:
Baby's Size and Development
Although a bassinet might be a more practical choice at first, there will be a weight limit on any bassinet that you choose for your newborn. Some bassinets, for instance, only have a 15- to 20-pound maximum weight limit. If your newborn is over 10 pounds, they will quickly outgrow a bassinet.
The other consideration is that even if your newborn is under the weight limit for the bassinet, your baby may still outgrow the bassinet in terms of their development. If your baby is able to roll over, is beginning to scoot with their legs, or is otherwise mobile, a bassinet may not be a safe choice for your little one, because it is smaller and could pose more of an entrapment or suffocation risk.
On the other hand, if you have a small or premature baby, a crib might simply feel too large for both of you to start. Some babies like to feel a little cozier in a smaller space like a bassinet provides.
Expense
Because most bassinets will not last longer than a few months for your baby, chances are that you will still need to purchase a crib, and you will want to consider your budget as well when making a decision. Can you afford to purchase both a bassinet and a crib, or would it make more economic sense to purchase the crib only and stick with it?
Space
You might want to consider what space you have available for your baby. Traditionally, cribs are larger than bassinets, so a bassinet may be more appropriate for a smaller living and sleeping area. However, not all cribs are large and some are specifically designed for small spaces.
A Word From Verywell
The decision of where your baby has to sleep is one that you will have to make from day one. That isn't to say that you can't change your mind, but choosing a crib versus bassinet is something you should consider before your baby makes their big debut.
While you may wish that there was one clear-cut answer, but the AAP does not recommend one over the other. They recommend that you choose either a crib or bassinet that adheres to current safety regulations and follow safe-sleep guidelines. The most important thing you can do is make sure the crib or bassinet you choose is safe, meets all current safety standards, and is the best fit for your family.
Where Should My Baby Sleep?
10 Sources
Verywell Family uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
United States Consumer Product Safety Commission. Bassinets and Cradles Business Guidance & Small Entity Compliance Guide.
ATSM International. Standard Consumer Safety Specification for Bassinets and Cradles. 2016. doi:10.1520/F2194-16E01
Consumer Product Safety Commission.Full-Size Baby Cribs Business Guidance & Small Entity Compliance Guide.
Consumer Product Safety Commission.Non-Full-Size Baby Cribs Business Guidance & Small Entity Compliance Guide.
Consumer Product Safety Commission - On Safety. The New Crib Standard: Questions and Answers.
American Academy of Pediatrics - Pediatric Patient Education. Safe Sleep and Your Baby: How Parents Can Reduce the Risk of SIDS and Suffocation.
Moon RY. SIDS and Other Sleep-Related Infant Deaths: Evidence Base for 2016 Updated Recommendations for a Safe Infant Sleeping Environment. Pediatrics. 2016;138(5). doi:10.1542/peds.2016-2940
Pike J, Moon RY.Bassinet use and sudden unexpected death in infancy.J Pediatr. 2008;153(4):509-12. doi:10.1016/j.jpeds.2008.04.052
United States Consumer Product Safety Commission. Safe Sleep – Cribs and Infant Products Information Center.
Yeh ES, Rochette LM, Mckenzie LB, Smith GA. Injuries associated with cribs, playpens, and bassinets among young children in the US, 1990-2008. Pediatrics. 2011;127(3):479-86. doi:10.1542/peds.2010-1537
By Chaunie Brusie, RN, BSN
Chaunie Brusie is a registered nurse with experience in long-term, critical care, and obstetrical and pediatric nursing.
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