The Great Crib Bumper Debate
Three years ago, a study concluded that crib bumpers were to blame in the deaths of a number of babies. There was a wave of concern that rippled through many parent communities, but overall, not much changed. Most crib bedding on the market is still sold as a set that includes a bumper, and the issue has gotten less and less attention until now.
This week, the New York Times reopened the discussion about the safety of crib bumpers. The Consumer Products Safety Commission will be examining crib bedding to determine what exactly the safety issues are. This could have a huge effect on the way crib bedding is sold and the types of products that are offered.
I am informed about the issue but have a bumper on our crib (though the babies slept in our room for the first six months). I have crib bumpers in a majority of my nursery design boards, although I haven’t included any in the last few.
What are your thoughts?
Crib Bumpers- yay or no way!
- No! It's too much of a risk. (36%, 25 Votes)
- Yes, I have one and I'm not worried. (27%, 19 Votes)
- No. It's an unnecessary expense. (24%, 17 Votes)
- Yes, I have one but it's only for show- not for when the baby is in the crib. (10%, 7 Votes)
- Yes, but I didn't know there was an issue. (3%, 2 Votes)
Total Voters: 70
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Oh the things we do to protect our children. Are crib bumpers REALLY all that necessary? How fast can a little one roll and bang their head? I think crib bumpers are overkill.
We used bumpers for both our boys…. I’d rather have my little one pressed up against a nice warm bumper than cold wood bars…. Plus…. There was a short while after a move that we didn’t have the bumper on the crib my oldest would scoot and get his legs and or arms stuck between the bars…. He. Was. Terrified….. I would never wish that on another baby/mother…. We think they are very necessary!
I don’t understand the Debate. Everyone sites a study that says over 20 year 27 babies died due to bumpers. Now I think this is a tragedy, and my heart goes out to the parents but that is an incredibly low number.
I mean according to “Kidsincars.org” in 2010 138 kid died as a result of being placed in a Car, and that’s just one year.
Again I don’t want to undermind the parents that lost their children to bumpers. I do feel for them, but life is dangerous. we will never have 0 risk in life.
right now your baby is 3x more likely to be killed by whooping cough the by the bumper on the crib.
Everyone keeps talking about the number of children that have possibly died due to bumpers. I am curious how many have actually broken and arm or a leg due to the lack of a bumper?? I am going back and forth about purchasing a bumper for my first child, and it honestly seems like an unnecessary expense the more I think about it. Ultimately it’s the parents choice, and I agree there are risks everywhere, but we just want to do everything we can to decrease those risks! Thanks to everyone for your input 
[...] think the results of my highly unscientific poll, “Crib Bumpers- Yay or No Way!” were very [...]
I don’t have a crib bumper mostly because I prefer the clean look of the crib without one. I am informed of the “issues” surrounding crib bumpers, but if I found one I loved I would probably use it once the baby was beyond the age of SIDs being a concern.