I decided to use a quilted bumper for my daughter when we moved her into a crib at 6 months. Without one, the crib looks like a baby jail. I make sure it's securely fastened and tight to the mattress. The other safety kicker to these is that when they are older they can use them to step on... and out the crib. She hasn't done it yet, so for now it stays.
Though I must say, I would never put a baby in a crib with those puffy bumpers from Shabby Chic.

We use mesh bumper. It took FOREVER to find one in store 2 years ago, and I had to buy it online. They mostly prevent from arm/legs getting stuck. When we needed a bumper (=when baby was sleeping with her head against the crib side) we used a firm roll pillow.

I used that breathable mesh bumper as well, but I switched to a padded fabric bumper. For me, bumpers have a practical use: My son was a *huge flailer* in the crib from 12-18 months, and he would hit his head hard on the slats. Bumpers fixed that problem, and he slept better. Happy kid = happy mom. All those fears about suffocation pretty much disappear when your child can roll and sit up. Bumpers are dangerous when a newborn or young infant face-plants into the padding and can't get up. My son still sleeps in his crib, and the bumpers keep his flailing feet in check.

I used one--light weight, not puffy or quilted, and tightly tied to the slats with ties too short for baby to get into his mouth. It was never thick enough to give him much height if he stepped on it--plus we always kept the mattress on the lowest setting. We sometimes put baby to bed without the bumper but each time he awoke with arms or legs stuck, or a comfort item had fallen out of the slats or he had thrashed around in his sleep and injured a hand or foot or his head. I may or may not use one with any other babies we might have. I might make my own out of highly breathable fabric.

I've used one for each of my three children. The first two: no problem. The third is such a wiggler, though, that at seven months I heard her crying in the middle of the night (barely, it was so muffled!) and came in to feed her only to find her with her head wedged completely underneath the tightly-tied bumper. It was wet enough that it was clear she'd been stuck there unable to extricate herself for several minutes, even though she can roll and get up easily on her hands and knees.

The bumper was gone before I got back into bed and I haven't missed it (especially at sheet-changing time!!).

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Health Canada also recommends against the use of bumper pads, so we don't use them. My little one's crib probably looks as bland as can be. It's the Gulliver from Ikea, and all that goes on it is an off-white cotton sheet. But we have pattern and colour in her room using curtains, area rug, and artwork. She's swaddled, so for now I'm not worried about her banging the spindles. We'll see what happens as she gets older.

The carbon dioxide argument confuses me. It's not as if the mattress is slatted - babies could just as easily face down while they are sleeping and be in the same situation. Our crib has two solid sides also, so why isn't that considered a safety concern?

I sewed my own lightweight bumper. I do think the big puffy ones look really scary and would rather not use one. When my 9 month old daughter tries to step on our bumper, it squishes right down to only make her about 1 inch higher than she would've been, so that is not an issue for us either.

I was really surprised by the numbers and I am wondering what the statistics are for crib injuries without a bumper? I doubt they could be any lower.

I was anti-bumper before the baby, but we've used one since she was 6 months old. Ours serves 2 purposes: prevent arms and legs from getting wedged bt the bars, and block out direct light from nightlight or window in the morning from getting in the baby's eyes. Ours is too floppy for the baby to use to climb on.

Oh, and now that she is big (16 months), I'll also slip a few books bt the bumper and the railing that she will take out and "read" in the morning. It gives us a little more time for sleep!

I'm going to try those mesh bumpers, my middle son always got his leg stuck when we went without a bumper. He had really squishy legs :). My first son started using it to step on. He had a Tracheostomy so he was monitored real close. My third son is still in the playpen.

The bumper issue wasn't a big one for us, we never felt our daughter needed one and why put yourself though the greif of possible suffication for "looks." We feel the larger (and scarier) SIDS threat is the chemicals use to make mattresses and other baby items flame retardant. A good synopsis can be found at: http://www.healthychild.com/cribdeathcause.htm

Wow herz9160 - interesting info. Good resource. Thanks. As for the bumper, I won't be using one. Don't see the need and if there is a question, why bother just for looks? I have enough faith in my design ability to be "ok" with the lack of a bumper. For me sometimes function will just beat out form and there is no middle ground. We shall see how the baby fairs if they are a wiggler or not with the arms and legs issue and the slats.

I think it's ridiculous that bumpers (and quilts) are still sold standard with most bedding sets. And are almost always the cutest part. I had the hardest time finding a set where the sheet and skirt were cute enough to use alone (they are usually the "plainer" parts of the set). Bedding manufacturers really need to start selling cuter separates so parents don't have to shell out big bucks for bumpers they never plan to use. I turned my bumper into a window valance, so at least I feel I didn't waste too much money.

We used a bumper for my boy twins (separate cribs). I agree with schnappycat that I am not sure why there are even quilts/blankets included in the bedding set. I didn't "get it" about the safety and the fact that I'd never use the pretty quilt and would fold it away in the crib drawer. What was the point. We did use the bumpers - more because they seemed to make sense that they'd protect the boys from bonking their heads on the crib rails. We used basinettes for the first 6 months or so, so the bumpers weren't in use at that time. As soon as the boys started standing and trying to use the bumpers as "stairs", we moved the bumper to be on the outside of the crib (the boys did NOT like not having the bumpers at that point so we had to find a way to keep them on).

I found crib bedding separates at babies r us (no, not my favorite either). They had mix-n-match in solids, check, and pattern in several colors. It worked for our tight budget at the time and the basic colors let us focus on more the vivd, colorful heirlooms we used for decorating the nursery. I purchased 2 fitted sheets & crib skirt for $30 or so. I think you can also purchase separates from baby gap? At least it was possible at one time.

If they are purely decorative... what would they look like tied outside of the crib? Dumb? I don't have a baby or a crib so I'm just speculating. Or while the baby is an infant - maybe you could tie it to the TOP of the rail for decoration - rather than the bottom where it poses suffocation hazard.

If they are the cutest part... maybe that's a way to spread the cuteness around.

Good grief. I think it was pretty clear from the posters above that no one was doing it for the looks.

All these safety recommendations and warnings are issued to keep people aware of the possible dangers. The same "stuff" is said about co-sleeping -- never mind that that's how mammals sleep with their newbies and that our species has done it for 150,000 years.

We used a bumper for our son because instead of scooting down in his crib, he would roll on to his belly and scoot up and bang his head on the slats repeatedly. He would keep digging in those toes till he found a corner and then sleep for hours. So yeah, he needed a bumper. It was lightweight and plain white (so obviously not for looks).

I am curious about the statistics between Europe and the US regarding SIDS. Here in Europe there is no such paranoia about it, warnings are not as menacing. The only things new parents are alerted only against co-sleeping and use of talc.
Anyway, we used a bumper and still use one, not because of the looks, but to prevent baby from knocking his head on the slats in the middle of his very bouncy sleep. Not out of fear of real injury, but to prevent a little nuisance.

I work in a baby store, in Canada, where is has been advised by health Canada that they are a risk. When people buy a bedding set I tell them to use their comforter as a play blanket on the floor for the first part, and then they can (if they are comfortable only!) in introduce it later when you start to get into the toddler stages. Bumpers for some people are the extra thing in the set that they put away and never use. and then for others they avoid buying a set altogether and they come in 6-7 months later wanting bumpers only because they woke up and went into the nursery and both of the child's legs were sticking out of the crib rungs. We sell "air flow" bumpers separately they have terrible feedback in terms of actually "working" (put /your/ face up to them and try to breathe)
I think the big risk with bumpers comes from the period of time when the baby cannot easily roll both ways, or is only able to roll one way. (i.e. the roll into the bumpers, and are unable to get their faces away/have not yet developed the instinct to /know/ to get their faces away)
Our particular store has made a commitment to try to make buying separates appealing to the customer as well, by displaying cribs dressed with plain colored separates paired with dwell sheets and wall art. but the fact of the matter is that there just isn't very much on the market in the way of separates (especially in Canada)
Just my personal opinions, which I am aware many may not agree with. my bottom line : do only what /you/ are comfortable.

we use bumpers but only since my daughter was able to roll and sit up, and really only to keep the four pacifiers in the bed with her instead of on the floor :) but she loves her bumpers. i've seen her, on the monitor, hugging them and she likes to press her back against them while falling asleep (as she is doing right now!) my biggest concern was blankets and so she has used a sleep sack from the time she started sleeping unswaddled.

We've never used them because of the health risk. If you don't use them you don't miss them. In fact, our son loves to tuck his feet into the slats while he sleeps.

No bumps, no bruises, and no crib death.

I've actually come to really dislike the look of them and prefer the clean, spare look of a bumper-less crib.

I did not buy a bumper for aesthetic purposes. I bought one because my son was bumping his head against the slats and was waking up in the middle of the night when his legs would get stuck in between the slats. The bumper makes his bed softer and he enjoys laying up against it.

mandykittie- that is truly terrifying. I assumed the risk on suffocation from a bumper disappeared once a baby is able to sit up by itself. Thank you for sharing your experience.

There was major bruising on my sons leg when it would get stuck, it was really hard to get it out too. He was reeeally squishy :) I called his legs my stress balls; so fun to squeeze!

Just to put this a little more clearly, and add to the above,

the American Academy of Pediatrics
the Canadian Paediatric Society
Health Canada
the First Candle/SIDS Alliance
the Canadian Foundation for the Study of Infant Deaths
the Consumer Product Safety Commission
the Canadian Healthy Environment and Consumer Safety Bureau and
the Consumers Union, publisher of Consumer Reports

ALL recommend that bumper pads never be used.

To put the SIDS risk in context, approximately 2300 baby deaths every year in the U.S. are attributed to SIDS.

While I too (like hertz9160) subscribe to the theories of Dr. Sprott with respect to the causes of SIDS, Dr. Sprott also strongly counsels against all quilts, bumpers, pillows and other items being placed in cribs.

Here is the actual September 2007 report documenting (reported) deaths and injuries directly attributable to bumper use in the U.S.:

http://www.sidsalliance.org/PDFs/BumperArticle.pdf

Besides looking at databases and counting how many children died or were injured as a result of crib bumpers between 1985 and 2005, researchers also studied 22 retail crib bumpers, finding that all of the bumper pads were hazardous. "Our data does not suggest any way in which changes in bumper design can reduce risk of death. We conclude that bumpers should not be placed in cribs or bassinets," says the report.

As a result of this report, in January of 2008 the American Academy of Pediatrics revised its recommendations to parents, superceding the advice provided in the post above. Here it is:

"CRIB BUMPERS INTO THE NIGHT: A HAZARD TO CHILDREN

RECOMMENDATION FROM THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF PEDIATRICS

As a parent, your primary aim is to protect your child and that includes providing a safe sleeping environment. But the pillow-like crib bumpers often used to prevent bruising can pose serious risks to your child's safety.

A September 2007 study in the Journal of Pediatrics concluded that crib and bassinet bumpers are unsafe because they can suffocate or strangle an infant.
Parents should keep pillows--including crib bumpers--and other soft materials out of their baby's sleeping area, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the "Back to Sleep" campaign, which reduced Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) deaths by more than 40% between 1992 and 2000. Additionally, data from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission show it is extremely rare for the contact between an infant and the sides of the crib to cause long term injury.
So while crib bumpers may give parents a feeling of security, in reality these soft objects pose a serious safety risk to infants.
The AAP, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and First Candle SIDS Alliance offer these additional tips to parents with children in cribs:

Always put your baby to sleep on his or her back.
Until age 6 months, move your baby's crib near your bed.
Don't overdress your baby for naps or bedtime. (One-piece sleepers work best; young children generally need one more layer of clothing than an adult might need.)
Remove loose bedding (blankets, pillows, sheepskins, etc.) from your child's sleeping area. If a blanket must be used for warmth, tuck it in around the crib mattress, reaching only as far as the baby's chest."
(Written by Allison Bond and originally published in the AAP News)

The Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association (JPMA) has over the years tried to downplay the seriousness of the issue and confuse parents about the recommendations by health and consumer authorities. Not surprising: cribs, bassinets, bedding, and nursery décor represent a large portion of the overall $8.9 billion juvenile products industry.

Check this out:
http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/babies-kids/baby-toddler/nursery-furniture/cribs/crib-safety-305-crib-bumper-crib-toy/overview/

As well, check out the JPMA's response to Crib Bumpers Into The Night: A Hazard to Children :
http://www.daddytypes.com/2008/05/23/dt_friday_freakout_allergies_bread_crib_bumpers.php

We never used bumpers, even though we had our children before this information was available. Both our children are great wigglers, and would stick arms or legs out of the crib, or but their head into the corner. However, it was (as so many things with babies) only a passing problem, as they soon learned to avoid doing it.

Most of my girlfriends and women I know are consumed during pregnancy with putting together the nursery for their baby. Many rush around to buy their crib bedding as soon as they know the gender, as they see it as the single most important design decision in the nursery. The bedding with the bumpers is the primary, and usually only, way the know how to introduce colour and pattern in the nursery. And bedding sets are seductively gorgeous these days, ever since DWELL entered this market.

Guess I'm wrong, but that is where I saw Ohdeedoh's role -- to show parents that there are other ways to design a nursery, other opportunities to introduce colour and pattern (rugs, atwork, special toys, murals, wall decals...).

Parents-to-be get a lot of mixed messages about bumpers -- they may be sort of aware that it's not recommended, but see them featured in magazines, in chic baby stores, on sites such as this, and in other's homes, all of which serve to act as de facto encouragement for their continued use.

Thus, "hoping that parents have educated themselves about safe bedding" and continuing to showcase unsafe bedding which flies in the face of the recommendation of all the leading pediatric health and consumer organizations in North America seems disinterested at best, and unethical at worst. I happen to agree with a poster at daddytypes, who wrote:

"Manufacturers still make them, so they aren't illegal, but every person connected with educating parents pre and post natal (including doulas, educators, nurses, Peds, etc.) is ethically bound to instruct parents to open their bedding sets and chuck the bumpers straight into the rubbish bin."

Ohdeedoh's position on this issue is a bitter disappointment, and has profoundly changed my impression of this site.

FYI: Restoration Hardware's new Baby & Child line will sell bumpers as a separate piece so you can choose what you want to buy.

I also someone post a photo where they made a valance with a bumper that came in their set - neat idea! They used the ties to hang it from a rod.

Whatever anyone decides, be safe!

I was having a hard time deciding which bedding to use (the one I liked is $200) and had decided to go ahead and make my own bedding and save money.
Now I think that is the best decision because most of you are right that the bumpers and quilt are the cutest parts and if they are not safe, I am not using it. And I am not paying $200 for it either!
Crib skirts are so easy to make... and all the other decoration can make the room cute.
Thank you so much for this post!!

We decided not to use the bumper - too expensive & crib looks nicer without the bumper anyways. We have 'Spot on the square crib'.

didn't there used to be comments here? in fact, i know i commented here!