Reports of Injury Risks and Reasons for Choice of Sleep Environments for Infants and Toddlers

Abstract

ObjectiveCompare mothers’ reports of injuries for infants and toddlers sleeping with crib-bumpers/mesh-liners/no-barriers and reasons for these sleep environment choices.MethodsA cross-sectional survey of mothers subscribing to a parenting magazine and using crib bumpers (n = 224), mesh liners (n = 262), and no barriers (n = 842). Analyses of four possible injuries (face-covered, climb-out/fall, slat-entrapment, hit-head) including multivariate logistic regression adjusted for missing data/demographics and Chi squared analyses of reasons for mothers’ choices.ResultsMaternal reports of finding infants/toddlers with face covered had 3.5 times higher adjusted odds (aOR) for crib bumper versus mesh liner use. Breathing difficulties and wedgings were reported for infants/toddlers using crib bumpers but not mesh liners. Climb-outs/falls showed no significant difference in aORs for crib bumpers versus no-barriers and mesh liners versus no barriers. Reports of slat-entrapment were less likely for mothers using crib bumpers and mesh liners than using no barrier (aOR = .28 and .32). Reports of hit-heads were less likely for crib bumpers vs no barrier (aOR = .38) with no significant difference between mesh liners versus no barrier use. Mothers using crib bumpers and mesh liners felt their choice prevented slat-entrapment (89%, 91%); 93.5% of crib bumper users felt their choice prevented hit-heads. Significantly more mesh liner than crib bumper users chose them because “There is no suffocation risk” (64.1% vs. 40.6%), while 83.6% of no-barrier users chose them because “I was concerned about suffocation risk.”Conclusions for PracticeMothers appeared to be more concerned about preventing minor risks than suffocation. Understanding reasons for mothers’ use of barriers/no-barriers is important in tailoring counseling for mothers with infants/toddlers.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (10.1007/s10995-019-02803-7) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Developing Rattan Baby Crib: Focus Group Discussion in Safety, Aesthetics, and Manufacturing Efficiency Consideration

“…On the other hand, handmade rattan baby cribs pose a risk of producing inconsistent decorative gap spacing that may trap infant body parts and potentially cause injury [10]. Beautifully woven patterns, such as intricate weaves (Figure 1-2), have been found to have a higher potential for infants to slips through or get trapped.…”