• Make sure it was made in the past 10 years. Drop-side cribs are no longer recommended or sold. Drop-side immobilizers and repair kits are prohibited.
• The slats should be less than 2 3/8 inches apart. Make sure there are no missing slats.
• Make sure there are no sharp edges, exposed screws and bolts, or corner posts that extend above the sides.
• Less than two fingers should fit between the mattress and crib sides.
• The end panels should extend below the bottom of the mattress.
• Crib sheets must fit snugly.
• The mattress support should be firmly secured.

• Choose a firm, flat mattress. Cover it in a fitted sheet, and use a safety-approved crib, bassinet or play yard
• To reduce the risk of suffocation, do not use pillows, heavy blankets or bumpers.
• Keep toys or stuffed animals out of your child’s sleep area.
• To reduce the risk of falls, pay attention to the weight limit on cribs, bassinets and play yards.
• Avoid putting a crib under a window. If you must, make sure to install a window guard or a window stop to prevent the window from opening more than 4 inches.
• Keep drapery and electrical cords out of reach to avoid strangulation.

• Install smoke alarms in each bedroom, outside each sleeping area and on every level of your home, including the basement.
• Maintain your smoke alarms using the manufacturer’s instructions.
• Replace smoke alarms after 10 years.
• Make sure everyone in your home knows the sound of a smoke alarm and how to respond. Teach children to get low and get out. Watch this safety video to learn more.
• Make sure your family has an exit plan. The American Red Cross offers a helpful sheet.
• Teach kids never to play with matches or lighters. Keep these items away from young children.
• Put at least one fire extinguisher on every floor and in the kitchen.
• Have your furnace inspected regularly. Change the filter at least once a year.
• Have your chimney cleaned and inspected each year.
• Burn only logs in your fireplace.
• Don’t use space heaters while your family is asleep.

• Create a fire emergency plan. Decide who will get the baby
• Keep chain or rope ladders near upstairs windows.
• Draw an escape plan showing routes to at least two exits. Make the routes as short as possible.
• Practice fire drills with the family and baby sitters.
• Never leave a small child alone.
• Use only fire-resistant sleepwear.
• Teach your child how to leave a burning building by staying low and feeling a door before entering a room.

See more information in the “Set up a safe place to sleep” section above.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that you:

• Put your baby on his or her back to sleep:
  • Every nap time and every night.
  • On a firm surface in an approved crib, bassinet or play yard.
• Share a room with your baby, but don't share a bed.
• Stop swaddling when your baby can roll over and use a sleep sack or footed pajamas.
• When your baby learns to stand, set the crib mattress at the lowest level.
• When your child is 35 inches tall or you see your child trying to climb out of a crib, move him or her to a toddler bed.
• Try giving a pacifier at nap time and nighttime.
• Breastfeed as often and for as long as you can.
• Never leave your baby alone on a couch, sofa or armchair.
• Don't smoke around your baby.
• Schedule and go to all well-child visits.
• Don’t use products that claim to reduce the risk of Sudden Unexpected Infant Death.

Learn more: Visit our Doernbecher Infant Safe Sleep Program page

For tips to lessen the risk of Sudden Unexpected Infant Death, visit healthychildren.org or talk with your doctor.

• Always use the safety strap.
• Never leave your baby alone.
• Don’t put the carrier close to the edge of a high surface.
• Watch your baby closely when other children or animals are around.

• Follow the instructions for assembly, use and maintenance.
• Always use the safety strap.

Medical experts don’t recommend walkers because of the injury risk. If you use one, follow these safety tips:

• Lock doors to stairways or block them with gates.
• Use walkers only on smooth surfaces. Watch for carpet edges and raised thresholds.
• Never leave your child alone.

• Use a safety-tested product.
• Keep and follow the instructions for use and maintenance.
• Test batteries regularly.
• Keep the monitor out of your baby’s reach.

• Set the water heater temperature no higher than 120 degrees.
• Test the bath temperature with your elbow or use a bath thermometer before putting your baby in the tub. It should be pleasantly warm.
• Keep the area free of appliances that could fall into the tub.
• Use faucet covers and bath cushions on the tub sides.
• Put a bath mat or a towel on the tub bottom to keep your baby from sliding.

• Don’t add water while your baby is in the tub. Remove your baby, then retest the temperature.
• Cradle your baby in one arm and use your free hand to wash.
• Never leave your baby alone.

Safety tips:

• Put medicines and vitamins out of reach or store them in a locked bag or box.
• Keep cleaning products and medicines in their original containers. Keep them out of children’s reach.
• Close the toilet lid after each use, and install a lock to prevent drowning.
• Never leave a child alone in a tub, not even for a moment.
• If you use buckets, empty them and turn them over after each use.

Appliance safety:

• Don’t put appliances near sinks, tubs or toilets.
• Keep portable appliances and sharp utensils out of reach.
• Put guards on stovetop elements. Turn pot and skillet handles inward.
• Put safety covers on stove-front knobs. Watch children carefully when you cook.
• Put latches or locks on refrigerators, microwaves, dishwashers, compactors, washers and dryers.
• Put padlocks on freezers.
• Remove refrigerator and freezer doors when not in use or when discarding.
• Put a switch cover on your garbage disposal .

• Put gates at the top and bottom of stairs and in doors to rooms where your child shouldn’t go. Use sturdy gates made after 1984; earlier gates don’t meet safety standards. Don’t use accordion gates.
• Mount gates at the top of stairs to the wall or guardrails.
• Put safety covers on doorknobs.
• Put safety nets on railings on steps, decks and balconies.
• Show your child how to crawl backward down steps.

• Use plug protectors and plate covers on electrical outlets.
• Hide electrical cords with cord covers or wide electrical tape.
• Use cord shorteners to avoid dangling cords.

• Keep windows closed and locked.
• Open windows from the top down whenever possible.
• Teach children to stay away from windows. Enforce the rule: Play one or two steps away.
• Move furniture or anything a child can climb on away from windows.
• If a window poses a fall risk, install stops that keep the window from opening more than 4 inches. If you need to open the window more than 4 inches, install a window guard. An adult must be able to open the window in an emergency.
• If buying new windows, ask for built-in safety limiters.
• Ask about window safety in places your child visits.

• Watch your child closely when using the fireplace.
• Use a heavyweight screen.
• Put a fire-resistant cover on your hearth.
• Have your chimney cleaned and inspected each year.

• Strap heavy furniture, including dressers, bookcases and TVs, to the wall.
• Use corner guards and edge cushions on furniture.
• Child-proof electronic equipment. Use power strip covers and outlet covers.

• Watch your child around pets.
• Keep pet dishes out of reach.
• Avoid strange, sick or injured animals.
• Our Home and Yard page has details about dog safety.

• If your home was built before 1978, check for peeling paint; it may have lead. Visit the Oregon Health Authority website for information.
• Don’t use throw rugs if possible. If you do, use safety tape or a nontoxic sealant.
• Use one-piece, rounded-edge doorstops. Avoid doorstops with rubber tips that can be swallowed.