Safe Kids Worldwide also recommends making sure your crib is up to date with these easy steps:
Check that your crib meets safety standards of the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and make sure it has all the right pieces. If your crib doesn’t meet CPSC standards, don’t use it.
If you are getting a used crib, check to see if it has been recalled at www.recalls.gov.
If you can fit a can of soda between the slats of a crib, that means a child’s head, hand or foot could get stuck.
If the sides go down, don’t use the crib.
While stuffed animals, bumpers and cute accessories make a baby’s crib seem warm and cozy, unfortunately, they can often do more harm than good. A firm mattress covered with a tight-fitting crib sheet is all you need to make your baby sleep like a baby.
Corner posts of the crib should not stick up more than one-sixteenth of an inch. It doesn’t seem like much, but anything more can be risky.
Check to make sure there are no design cutouts in the headboard or footboard.
In addition to these tips, the organization also offers guidance on where to position your baby’s crib:
Avoid placing a crib, bed, high chair or playpen near windows, draperies, blinds, or wall-mounted decorative accessories with cords.