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When Is Your Baby Ready To... Sleep Edition

  • ...snooze on her tummy?



  • ...Use a Blanket in the Crib?
    At 1 year. Before that, blankets are a suffocation/SIDS risk, according to the AAP. But if your child still fits into his sleep sack, you're golden. They're better than loose blankets anyway, which don't have a good-night prayer of staying on all night.
  • ...Sleep with Toys in the Crib?
    With all of the nervousness about possible SIDS hazards, parents might worry about putting stuffed animals or other playthings in their infant's crib. What you need to know depends on the plaything.



    Books. Since babies are likely to chew on board books, doctors recommend giving them only fabric ones in the crib -- after they turn 1.

  • Veer

    ...Ditch the Bumpers?
    Who would have thought a simple decorative touch in the nursery would end up being controversial? Some experts say bumpers are suffocation hazards and shouldn't be in the crib at all; others take a more pragmatic approach. What you need to know To be on the safe side, avoid large, fluffy bumpers and remember to tie them to the crib as tightly as you can. Also, make sure there are no gaps -- that way your baby can't get his head stuck between the bumper and crib railings.
