Crib Mattress Height Requirements

Every year 10 000 children are taken to the emergency room for crib related accidents with many related to children falling out of their crib 6.

Crib mattress height requirements.

4 4 out of 5 stars 2495 ratings based on 2495 reviews current price 36 00 36. Once a child is over 35 inches in height you need to move him to a toddler bed. According to a 19 year study published in the journal pediatrics us emergency rooms treat an average of nearly 10 000 zero to two year olds each year for crib playpens or bassinet injuries. When a mattress is used with the crib the actual height of the crib side as a barrier is 20 in.

The standard sets a size requirement for crib mattresses and establishes a test method for use in measuring the size. However once they are able to stand up the mattress should be at the lowest level. In addition there is a voluntary standard for crib mattresses astm f2933. Given frequent falls from the crib federal crib regulations have set the minimum distance between the top of the mattress support and top of the crib side rail as 26 in.

In the most common three level variations each level will be 3 5 inches above the lower one with the lowest being 26 below the top of the railing. For more information on these requirements please see the mattress. At this point the crib mattress can no longer be adjusted low enough to ensure the safety of the child and the height of the crib rails coupled with the child s increased gross motor skills makes successfully climbing out of the crib much more likely. However crib mattresses are subject to the mattress flammability testing requirements of 16 cfr part 1632 and 16 cfr part 1633.

With any crib bassinet or play yard follow a few simple rules to keep babies sleeping safely. And while most of us know you need a firm crib mattress most of these injuries aren t actually related to mattress. The mattress should always be positioned at a height that prevents them from climbing out. Product title safety 1st sweet dreams 5 crib and toddler mattress thermo bonded core average rating.

Make sure there are no gaps larger than two fingers between the sides of the crib and the mattress. Crib mattresses are not covered by the full size crib standard. To prevent suffocation never place pillows or thick quilts in a baby s sleep environment. The standard also requires that crib mattresses include a label with safety warnings to advise consumers to make sure their crib mattress properly fits within a crib and warnings to help prevent sudden infant death syndrome sids.

Of those more than 80 involve cribs. Lowering your baby s crib mattress is perfectly safe in fact when the time is right it will make their crib even safer. Typically the crib mattress is set to the greatest height for newborns and then as they continue to grow develop and move the height should be lowered accordingly.