Hotel Crib Safety

Hotel cribs can be a real time and space saver. With limited room in the vehicle and long hours driving, it’s always nice to arrive at your hotel and find baby’s crib set up and waiting. But, to ensure baby’s safety through the night, take a few minutes to make sure the crib meets safety standards before bedding your little one down for the night.

The crib should be assembled and set up correctly.

The hotel crib should be sturdy and not sway or rock when you shake it.

If the crib has wheels, make sure they are locked.

Crib mattress should be well supported and fit in the crib snugly. There should be no space between the mattress and the crib walls.

The mattress should be firm.

If possible, check the date of manufacture. Very old cribs do not meet today’s safety standards. Older cribs are less stable, as well.

Make sure baby can not get her head caught in the slats and that the sides of the crib operate correctly.

Check weight limitations. Be sure your child is not too large for the crib provided. If the child is too heavy, it could cause the crib to collapse.

Do not put soft or fluffy items in the crib with your child. This includes crib bumpers.

Place the crib away from windows, where your child can not reach window blinds, cords, lamp or lamp cords, or any wall plugs.

For mesh or travel cribs, double check that the sides are in the correct position and locked. Your baby could get tangled in the mesh and suffocate.

Consider bringing your own sheets for a hotel crib. Your child will feel more secure with familiar sheets, and you will know they are clean.

Take the extra time to double check safety and you and your child will sleep better.