Bumper Pads and infant Safety

Bumper pads are now getting the bad rap that tummy time did a few years ago, although I am not as upset about people never using bumper pads again since that has no effect on the development of a child! A recent article was published in national parenting magazine covering the story of the Chicago City Council who banned the sale of bumper pads citing their danger to infants during sleep. I find this a knee jerk reaction to fear. Of course, I am completely for anything that can protect children, but overreactions to bits of information can prove to be equally dangerous. Such is the case with the Back to Sleep program of the 90’s and early 2000’s. People have become so afraid of placing their baby on the stomach that a good percentage never do!

Bumper pads have become increasingly plush in recent years as has everything to do with caring for infants- car seats, bouncers, toys- although plush, soft things are very dangerous to infants because of the risk for suffocation. The history for placing a bumper pad in the crib goes back to keeping the draft off of a sleeping baby following the belief that a baby could “catch its death”. They are also useful in keeping the baby's arms and legs from getting caught between the slats of the crib.

As a mother and as a pediatric physical therapist, I have to draw on my experience when giving a recommendation about bumper pads. If you place an infant, unable to roll over or even hold the head in midline for lack of strength, in the center of a crib, he or she will likely be unmoved when you return to check on him or her. We are talking about a newborn up to 2 months. It is the exact time when regulating body temperature is still new to the system making it important to keep dramatic temperature changes from happening in the room, hence the bumper pad. Once the baby starts to wiggle around, move and change position during sleep, it is probably best to remove the bumper pad from the crib. This is for suffocation safety as well as for preservation of the bumper pad. For me, my boys would start to pull the bumper pad off the crib and play with it, lift it up to look underneath it, tear the little ties off of the pad that attached it to the bed.

My professional opinion in a nutshell? For infants who are not moving around at all, bumper pads are probably not a big threat if securely attached to the crib with the baby placed in the center of the crib. Go for the thinner variety, avoid the thick, plush types. For infants who are moving around during sleep, remove the bumper pads. And as always, keep all loose, soft, plush items out of the crib at all times including stuffed animals, thick, heavy blankets and all forms of soft mattress covers like foam and egg shell mattresses.