That seemingly harmless sheet in your baby's crib could kill him, says this report from CNN. Seventeen infants have died because of loose cribs sheets since 1984, says the article. Babies become entangled in the sheets and can suffocate or be strangled.
"This is a hidden hazard that even the best caregiver may not know about," says Ann Brown, the chairwoman of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.
To keep your infant safe, never use adult sheets on a crib, and make sure that crib sheets fit properly.
Parents should also remove pillows and blankets from their baby's crib because they have been implicated as a possible cause of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).
Babies also shouldn't sleep on any type of soft bedding, like a waterbed or sheepskin, recommends this article from the American Academy of Pediatrics. The most important suggestion for preventing SIDS is to put babies to sleep on their backs, according to this Epregnancy.com story. The article also suggests keeping a baby's environment smoke-free, breast-feeding your infant and not letting an infant get overheated.
