As most parents know, bringing a new baby into the world can be as challenging as it is exciting. Yet apart from the joys you’ll discover, it’s critical to remember your role as your child’s chief protector. For example, you’ll need to be very careful when furnishing your baby’s room so you can maximize your child’s health and safety. You’ll need to complete some serious research before purchasing a wide variety of items, including a safe crib, mattress, clothing and toys.

Your Baby’s Crib and Mattress

Far too often, attorneys are asked to represent parents of a child who’s suffered serious head trauma, or even death, due to a crib’s improper design. Just recently, more than one million cribs had to be recalled in both the United States and Canada. It seems the mattress supports in those cribs could malfunction and cause serious or deadly injuries to children.

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The impending danger was magnified by the fact that the cribs were being sold by some of the largest discount stores and best-known Web sites in Canada and the United States. A crib mattress should also be purchased cautiously. Long ago, parents just assumed that a firm yet comfortable mattress would fully meet their baby’s needs.

Nowadays, we’re become aware of how incredibly sensitive newborns are to their surroundings. We know we should choose a baby’s mattress that was made without any toxic substances, is fire-retardant and unlikely to provoke allergies and rashes.

Comfort remains important but should never be the sole consideration.

Many modern parents are investing in organic crib mattresses because they’re free of many chemical additives that have been linked to toxic poisoning and SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome). Organic crib mattresses feature pure “grow wool” which comes from sheep and is naturally fire-retardant.

Clothing and Toys

Careful parents should choose clothing for their baby that’s fire retardant yet comfortable. Small buttons or others items that can be pulled off and cause choking should never be sewn on a baby’s daywear or night clothing.

Caution must also be exercised when attaching toys to a crib so that small parts cannot fall off and choke a child. Furthermore, all toys must be free of toxic paint or other harmful substances and be free of any small parts that might fall off and harm a child.

Other General Items

Parents must carefully research the safety of the bottles they’ll be using when feeding their babies and the formulas they’ll be placing in those bottles. During the past year, a number of news stories have discussed the dangerous chemical components of some plastic baby bottles.

http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/04/23/america/plastic.php

and http://a.abcnews.com/Health/Consumer/story?id=4657968&page=1

Baby formulas must also be carefully researched. You must be sure to only use those that are free of harmful additives. As it turns out, China was not the only country producing baby formula with the potentially dangerous additive melamine in it. That substance turned up in small quantities in the formula being produced by one American manufacturer.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/26/us/26formula.html?_r=1&scp=5&sq=melamine&st=cse

Parents should also purchase changing tables with proper side guards to prevent any falls; carpet that’s non-toxic and slightly padded to soften any unexpected falls; and fire retardant sheets, blankets and pillows.

Last, but most important of all, be sure to check with your baby’s doctor for the latest recommendations for safe baby products.