Cribs That Grow With Your Baby

An infant spends up to 20 hours a day asleep, although it may not seem like that to a first time parent. The right kind of bed can help a baby feel secure in their environment, form better bonds with their parents, and achieve better sleep quality. Of course, every child develops on their own, but research tells us a few important things about beds.

- From birth, a parent provides the only source of comfort that a child knows. Maintaining close contact with a baby can therefore reinforce feelings of comfort and security. A bed that can move from room to room will allow children to stay close to their parents.

- Research has shown that premature babies thrive when placed in a close, warm environment with plenty of opportunity for touch. A round bed would offer such benefits, and it follows that healthy babies would also thrive in such an environment.

- A bed that allows children to readily see through the spindles will allow them more interaction with the parent and a greater sense of comfort.

- The "Back to Sleep" campaign to reduce Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) encourages parents to put their babies to sleep on their backs, on a firm mattress with no loose blankets or toys in the crib.

- Babies that sleep near their parents tend to "model" their parents' breathing and sleeping patterns and often sleep better. For breastfeeding moms, proximity is also key of safe, effortless late night feedings.

- A mattress that contains an open cell structure (large cells) of foam facilitates airflow and helps moisture escape. Poor airflow has been suspected of contributing to SIDS, although research has not yet confirmed this hypothesis.

- All cribs and crib mattresses should conform to federal crib standards, as defined by The American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM).