Nursery Safety: A refresher course

First and foremost make sure you have a working smoke detector in or just outside your nursery, as well in or just outside of all sleeping rooms in your home, and on every floor, including the basement.   

While a new crib is almost always best, putting baby to sleep in a used crib is fine -- so long as it was made after 2000, is in excellent shape, has not been the subject of a recall and comes with the Juvenile Products Manufacturing Association (JPMA) certification seal. Outdated models have slats that are too far apart, which makes it possible for a baby's limbs to become stuck; a safe crib should have slats that are no more than 2.4" apart. 

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While it doesn't pack the prettiest punch, a fitted sheet should really be the only thing in the crib besides your baby.  Bumpers, stuffed animals, pillows and blankets look warm and cozy, and can really help pull your nursery look together -- but they represent a major suffocation hazard.  Instead, stack the stuffed animals on a shelf and hang the quilt on a wall (both away from baby's reach, of course) so that you retain the aesthetic appeal of these items without sacrificing safety in the process. And to keep baby warm at night, dress him in a wearable blanket or swaddler like those from Halo or Bonkie Baby. Also, it's crucial to remember that infants should be put to bed lying on their backs to prevent SIDS. (This is the opposite of what they told our parents so don't be surprised if your mother tells you not to do it.)

The crib mattress should fit snugly with no more than two fingers width between its edge and the side of the crib.  Mobiles are fine so long as your baby is immobile, herself.  Once she's able to get onto her hands and knees, usually around the age of 4- or 5-months, the mobile becomes a strangulation hazard and should be removed from the crib.  Make sure baby's crib is not within reach of a window, curtains, blinds or outlets and -- on a related note -- use outlet plugs both in the nursery and throughout your home.

Anchor all large pieces of furniture -- including dressers, bookshelves and armoires -- to the wall.  You'd be amazed at how quickly a crawling baby can figure out how to open a drawer and climb inside; If not bolted into the wall, that dresser can topple over in an instant, causing serious injuries or death to the baby trapped beneath.  If you'd like to use a changing table, look for one with elevated sides that will help prevent your baby from falling.  Use the safety strap, and try to always keep one hand on your baby while you're reaching for diapering supplies.  For obvious reasons, those supplies should be kept within your arm's reach -- but not within baby's!

To ease nasal congestion during a cold, use a cool-mist humidifier.  While its true that a cool-mist humidifier can become a breeding ground for mold and bacteria, it isn't an issue if you maintain a regular cleaning schedule of the tank and related parts.  A steam vaporizer -- while better from a mold/bacteria standpoint -- poses a significant burn risk to baby, and is thus widely considered the less-safe option.