Hidden hazards can threaten safety of infants

September is Baby Safety Month, during which agencies and organizations such as the SIDS Alliance, Consumer Product Safety Commission, Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association, COMBAT’s Maine Center for the Public Interest, and other child safety and consumer organizations are reminding the public that hidden risks threaten the safety of infants. Being aware of these risks is the best way to protect your baby.

We usually assume that our babies are safe when they are asleep, but even the most attentive parents may not be aware of the hidden hazards of placing babies on adult beds or may not know how important it is to put infants to sleep on their backs.

Babies placed on adult beds risk suffocation from hidden hazards, such as entrapment between the bed and wall. The Consumer Product Safety Commission reports more than 100 deaths of children under age 2, most from suffocation, associated with features of adult beds. These deaths occurred from Jan. 1, 1999, to Dec. 31, 2001, and involved an entrapment, a fall, or a situation in which bedding or the position of the child was related to the death. Nearly all of the children, 98 percent, were babies under 1 year old.

COMBAT recommends that parents not only be mindful of the risks, but also set aside some time immediately to conduct a “safety patrol” of their baby’s environment. Don’t stop with your home; do the same with other environments in which your baby spends time, such as homes of grandparents, baby sitters, friends and other relatives or child care locations. Here are some things to look for, consider, or do:

. Always place your baby to sleep on his or her back to reduce the risk of SIDS.

. Wherever your baby sleeps should be as safe as possible. Babies placed on adult beds risk suffocation from several hidden hazards such as entrapment between the bed and wall, or the bed frame, headboard or footboard. Check all these spaces and make sure there is no space large enough for your baby’s head to pass between. If the bed might shift away from the wall, anchor it in some fashion.

. Falls from adult beds onto piles of clothing, plastic bags, or other soft materials could result in suffocation. Make certain there is no way your baby can roll off the bed.

. Soft bedding such as pillows, thick quilts, sheepskins, and comforters are all suffocation risks. Remove all soft bedding before placing your baby to sleep.

. When using a crib, make sure it meets current safety standards, has a firm, tight-fitting mattress and tight-fitting bottom sheet. When using a portable crib or play yard, be sure to use only the mattress or pad provided by the manufacturer.

Be especially wary of “hand-me-downs,” borrowed items or infant furniture purchased at yard sales or flea markets. These may not be up to current safety standards.

There is something else to consider as relates to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, or SIDS. Recent research implies a link between SIDS and prenatal use of tobacco products. There is evidence to suggest that a breast-feeding mother who used tobacco products during and after pregnancy may pass harmful agents to an infant. Though not completely understood, these agents appear to play a role in instances where infants have died from SIDS.

If you have a friend or family members with an infant, please clip this column and share it with them. If you sometimes entertain a baby in your home, conduct your own “Safety Patrol” so that baby will be safe while visiting.

The Maine Center for the Public Interest has an urgent need for volunteers with advanced or executive secretarial or clerical skills such as taking and preparing minutes, dictation, and information management. If you are retired, have a few free hours to spare, and have executive secretarial experience, please call 947-3331 and leave your name and number or e-mail contact information to volunteer@consumerprotect.org.

Consumer Forum is a collaboration of the Bangor Daily News and Northeast COMBAT/The Maine Center for the Public Interest, Maine’s membership-funded nonprofit consumer organization. For help or to request individual or business membership information write: Consumer Forum, Bangor Daily News, P.O. Box 1329, Bangor 04402-1329.