Is Crib Pillow Safe?

You may have heard that a crib pillow is not safe for your child. Technically, this is true, but it isn’t that simple. It is true that you should not leave a crib pillow in your child’s crib while they are sleeping, but that does not mean that a crib pillow in and of itself is unsafe to have for your child. Remember that a crib pillow is better thought of as a baby decorative pillow instead. Let’s take a deeper look at proper safety when it comes to your child’s crib.

Crib Pillows

When people hear crib pillow, they often think of the same kind of pillow that an adult might use, just in a crib. The fact is that this is not the case. A crib pillow is designed to be a decorative addition to your nursery design, not a sleep aid for your child. There are several kinds of crib pillows available on the market including baby cushions and baby decorative pillows.

A baby cushion is soft, decorative, plush images or characters that often have additional decorations affixed to it such as eyes, ribbons, or a crown. They are often used as extra decoration around the room or placed in the crib during the day.

A baby decorative pillow is a soft pillow that often has a recognizable shape but does not have any additional features. This allows the child to play with the pillow during the day without being concerned about choking hazards.

In any case, crib pillows are designed as a decorative, interactive element to bring comfort and learning to your child's nursery during the early stages of development. They are not designed to sleep with. You should always remove crib pillows from the crib while your child is sleeping to remove any risk of suffocation or choking throughout the night.

Sheets

Sheets can also present danger while your child is sleeping. It is important to ensure that you only use tightly fitted crib sheets that are designed specifically for your size crib mattress. There are also crib sheets that zip around the entire mattress to prevent any risk of pulling up at the corners while your child sleeps. This provides the safest option for sheets to ensure all risk of suffocation is removed from the crib.

Blankets

Blankets are another feature that people commonly associate with babies with how they would use them as an adult. In reality, babies do not need to sleep with blankets. While it can be a good idea to keep throw blankets on hand for snuggling or feeding times to keep your child warm, a baby should be swaddled when sleeping. Not only does it prevent suffocation hazards, but it also makes your child feel safe like they did in the womb which provides a deeper sleep that can last throughout the entire night.

The bottom line is that no crib item by itself is unsafe to own for your child. The danger comes when you leave loose items in the crib overnight. As long as you are practicing safe crib habits, you can incorporate any baby decorative items into your crib during the day.