Skip to main content
  • Patient Portal
  • Pay Bill
  • Request Appointment
MCHS_Logo_2024_BLACK
    • Services

      Featured Services

      • Cardiology (Heart)
      • Gastroenterology & Hepatology (Digestive Care)
      • Neurosurgery
      • Obstetrics & Gynecology (OB-GYN)
      • Oncology (Cancer)
      • Orthopedics & Orthopedic Surgery (Bones)
      • Primary Care
      • Spine Care
      • Sports Medicine
      • Surgery
      • Urology

      View all services
    • Providers
    • Locations

      Minnesota

      • Albert Lea
      • Austin
      • Belle Plaine
      • Blooming Prairie
      • Butterfield
      • Caledonia
      • Cannon Falls
      • Fairmont
      • Faribault
      • Lake City
      • Lake Crystal
      • Mankato
      • Montgomery
      • New Prague
      • Northfield
      • Owatonna
      • Plainview
      • Red Wing
      • Sherburn
      • St. James
      • St. Peter
      • Waseca
      • Waterville
      • Wells
      • Zumbrota

      Wisconsin

      • Arcadia
      • Barron
      • Bloomer
      • Chetek
      • Chippewa Falls
      • Eau Claire
      • Ellsworth
      • Glenwood City
      • Holmen
      • La Crosse
      • Menomonie
      • Mondovi
      • Onalaska
      • Osseo
      • Prairie du Chien
      • Rice Lake
      • Sparta
      • Tomah

      View map
    • Classes/Events
    • Blog
    • Wellness
    • Referrals

    Recent Posts

    • Two people working
      Speaking of Health
      Maintaining healthy relationships with age
      May 15, 2025
    • Charlie Pierce
      Patient Stories
      The sound of success: How improved hearing aids career change
      May 01, 2025
    • Cutting yellow pepper on board
      Speaking of Health
      Eating healthy on a budget
      April 24, 2025
    Featured Topics
    • Behavioral Health
    • Cancer
    • Children's Health (Pediatrics)
    • Exercise and Fitness
    • Heart Health
    • Men's Health
    • Neurosurgery
    • Obstetrics and Gynecology
    • Orthopedic Health
    • Weight-loss (Bariatric) Surgery
    • Women's Health
    Join our email newsletter
    Speaking of Health
    Wednesday, February 8, 2023

    How safe is your nursery?

    Topics in this Post
    • Pediatric Medicine
    • Children's Health (Pediatrics)
    Baby sleeping in crib

    After months of anticipation, you've welcomed your child into the world. Your main priority now is to keep your little miracle safe. Your baby will be spending much time in the nursery, so it's important to check for, and correct, any potential safety hazards.

    Take a few minutes to evaluate each part of your nursery with these tips in mind:

    Crib and bassinet safety

    Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) is the unexplained death of an infant under 1. While the exact cause of SIDS remains under investigation, research has shown that a safe sleeping environment has an impact on prevention.

    Safe sleep guidelines are recommended to help reduce the risk of sleep-related infant death, including:

    • Always lay babies to sleep on their backs on a firm, flat surface. A mattress should fit snugly into the frame of the crib or bassinet, with no gaps.
    • Avoid co-sleeping. Your baby should have his or her own sleeping space in a crib or bassinet. It's recommended that the baby sleeps in the same room as the caregiver for at least the first six months of life.
    • Do not place loose blankets, bumpers, pillows or stuffed animals in a crib with a sleeping infant.

    Window safety

    Windows can pose a threat no matter how high they are above ground.

    To ensure your children's safety around windows in the nursery and other parts of your home, it's recommended to:

    • Move furniture away from windows.
    • Supervise children in rooms with open windows.
    • Never rely on screens to prevent falls.
    • Install a stop that prevents windows from opening further than 4 inches.
    • Install window guards to cover the lower portion of the window.
    • Open double-hung windows only from the top.
    • Secure cords from blinds or curtains out of reach of children.

    Nursery safety tips

    Additional safety recommendations in the nursery include taking steps to:

    • Place a night light in the nursery and any nearby bathroom and hallway.
    • Install smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, and check their function regularly.
    • Anchor heavy furniture, such as dressers and bookshelves, to the wall. Safety straps or wall anchor kits can be purchased separately if the furniture does not come with them.

    Safety outside the nursery

    While it's important to keep furniture inside the nursery safe for infants, you also should pay attention to other furniture in your home, including:

    • Never leave a baby unattended on an elevated surface.
    • Place bassinets or car seats on the floor rather than on tables, counters, beds or other furniture.
    • Place bumpers or guards on sharp corners of furniture.

    Read more about childhood safety:

    • Caring for your child's eyes
    • Keeping children's teeth healthy
    • Protect your child with proper vaccinations
    • Protect children's hearing from noisy toys, gifts
    • 5 sneaky Halloween costume health concerns

    By Mayo Clinic Health System staff

    Topics in this Post
    • Pediatric Medicine
    • Children's Health (Pediatrics)

    Related Posts

    Boy and girl with magnifying glass illustration 8 tips to develop children's curiosity
    Family playing board game Play! It's good for your family's health
    Youth with red streak in dark hair 5 things you need to know about mental health and girls
    Mayo Clinic Health System
    About Us
    Careers
    Volunteer
    Donate
    Contact Us
    Patient Care
    Patients & Visitors
    Classes & Events
    Mayo Clinic Connect
    Mayo Clinic
    Resources
    For Medical Professionals
    Community Resources
    Financial Assistance
    Price Transparency
    Press Room
    Compliance
    Notice of Nondiscrimination
    Notice of Privacy Practices
    No Surprises Act
    Terms of Use
    Manage Cookie
    Privacy Policy
    © 2018 - 2025 Mayo Clinic Health System