Some pediatricians are warning parents about a common crib accessory: padded bumpers.
Dr. Pierre Loredo, a pediatrician with Lee Memorial Health System, is one of those who warn that crib bumpers can cause babies to suffocate. He said that despite the fact that the American Academy of Pediatrics advises parents to not use the bumpers because of the risks involved, they are still available almost everywhere.
"The State of Maryland has laws prohibiting you from buying bumpers over the counter," Loredo said. "But there's still the Internet, and there's still a bunch of states that don't know the story is even out there."
According to a study by the Journal of Pediatrics, crib bumpers were suspected as the cause of as many as 77 infant deaths between 1985 and 2012.
Tatiana Franklin is a mother of 1-year-old twins. She said that she used padded crib bumpers for her older child, but was warned about the possible dangers before her twins were born.
"First we started out with no bumper," Franklin said. "And then when they were getting legs and arms stuck outside the crib, being upset about it, we got the breathable mesh liner bumpers."
A statement from the Juvenile Products Manufacturing Association said that when used according to instructions, crib bumpers "assist parents in addressing their very real concerns about crib injuries including limb entrapment, head injury, contusions and abrasions."
"We don't see that," said Loredo. "In fact, it's rare to hear of a severe head injury from not having those bumpers there."
In addition to Maryland, the city of Chicago has also banned the sale of crib bumper pads. The American SIDS Institute also discourages their use.
