Soft stuffed animals, warm knitted blankets from Grandma, pint-sized pillows…they all seem attractive compared to a plain, fitted sheet and little else — but as mentioned in today’s NewsSquawk, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has issued yet another warning against placing these items in your baby’s crib.

We’ve all probably heard these warnings a hundred times, but babies are still dying from preventable accidents. According to the CPSC, from 2002 to 2004, 241 children under age 5 died in incidents involving nursery products. About 40 percent of the deaths involved cribs, with soft bedding cited as the leading contributing factor. Many of the children suffocated when lying face down on pillows or other bedding, the agency said.

Bath accidents also received extra attention in the CPSC’s statements. The agency said there were 36 deaths over the same period relating to baby baths and bath seats. All occurred when caregivers left the baby unattended. In many instances, babies slipped out of bath seats, fell out of baby seats or tipped forward or sideways into the water. (Never leave a child unattended in the tub!)

Other advice included making certain that your baby’s crib is properly assembled, that the mattress fits securely (babies can get their heads stuck between the crib and mattress if it doesn’t fit properly - allow no more than two fingers’ width between crib and mattress at any point), that broken cribs are replaced or repaired promptly, and yes, that you place your baby on his or her back to sleep. We can’t stop every death - SIDS can occur even when parents do everything “right” - but we can take steps to reduce the hazards to our infants.

These tips aren’t new, but if the CPSC felt the need to get them out there again, then so do I.

Posted by Sunshine.