Playpen Safety
Playpens, also sometimes called play yards, are often used as a safe place for babies when parents are unable to watch them every moment. However, playpens can be dangerous under certain circumstances as well and require just as much scrutiny as any other piece of equipment to keep your baby safe.
To prevent playpen accidents, it is important to keep these safety tips in mind:
- Make sure that netting has a small weave, less than ¼ inch across, that is free from tears and a child’s fingers cannot fit through the holes created by the mesh. The mesh should be securely attached to the top rail and bottom plate.
- Slats on wooden playpens should be no wider than 2-3/8 inches apart to prevent a child’s head from getting stuck.
- To prevent suffocation, never leave the drop side lowered where a child can roll into the pocket that the slack mesh created.
- Check that the rails and padding are in good condition and that there are no chunks bitten out by teething children. Small tears can be repaired, more extensive cracking, splitting, or rips may require a complete replacement of the rails.
- Once your child has reached five (5) months of age or is able to get on all fours and sit on their own, whichever comes first, remove any toys tied to the top of the playpen to prevent entanglement.
- When your child can get into a standing position, remove any boxes or large toys from the playpen that could be used to climb out.
- If your playpen has a changing table, remove it when the child is in the playpen.
- Never use accordion-style fencing to make circular play yard enclosures. Small fingers can get pinched in hinges and it is easy for the child’s head to be caught in openings.
Playpens can be a great option for parents that need a way to keep their child safe and occupied while mom or dad is busy, provided that both common sense and these playpen safety tips are followed.
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