What age do babies no longer need a crib bumper?
Saturday, September 4th, 2010 at
5:40 am
We put our crib bumper on when our little guy would bang his head against the crib when he was a couple of months old. He is now eight months old and rolling around like crazy in the crib. Should we take the bumper off or leave it on?
Filed under: Baby Clothes
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Bumpers are an issue of controversy. For small babies, it is MOSTLY an issue of whether they are installed correctly (tucked in an inch or two on ALL sides and fully tied, not hanging down at all).
We decided to leave our bumper on with our 10 mo. Two reasons – we usually find him cuddled up against it, and I think the softness of it gives him comfort. Also, in the morning, when he wakes up, he kicks the $%!# out of his crib until we go get him!! So, to protect the crib, too!
You can probably leave it on, but it is really up to you. It is probably NOT a hazard. But if you are still nervous, check out Breathable Baby Mesh Bumpers.
Lots of people don’t believe in using crib bumpers at least until the child is older. Since your baby is 8 months I would probably just leave it on.
Leave the bumper on until your child tries to climb out of the crib. My daughter is 15 months old and is always getting her arms stuck outside the crib. I wish I could have the bumpers on still. Unfortunately she is a professional climber.
It’s not reccommended to use a bumper at all for younger babies.
I think you should leave it on until the head banging stops
Head banging and body rocking are normal self-comforting behaviors in babies. The rhythmic back-and-forth movements may soothe your baby and help him drift off to sleep, in the same way being rocked in a rocking chair does. Strangely enough, your baby may also bang his head to distract himself from pain — if he’s teething or has an ear infection, for example.
The only precautionary measure you should take is to tighten the screws and bolts on his crib regularly, as all the motion may work them loose.
Don’t put pillows or blankets in his crib to soften the surroundings, because these are a suffocation hazard. And if you use crib bumpers, make sure they’re thin, firm (not puffy), and securely tied to the crib railings, so your baby can’t get his head between the bumper and the railing.