Infant bed

[1] It derives from the Old English word "cribb" which means "manger" (food trough, referring to the shape of a bassinette) or stall (implying corralling the child).

"[1] This was due to a perception of noxious fumes below knee level, and explosive vapours near the ceiling, with good air in between.

[2] This new application was quickly extended to children's beds - a rockable iron bassinette (with spear-like corner posts) has been dated to 1620–1640.

Technical standards for infant beds include considerations such as the materials used and preventing hand and head entrapment.

However, assembly problems and malfunctioning hardware on drop gates can cause the formation of gaps, which have been attributed to infant deaths and other major injuries.

In June 2011, the United States implemented new safety standards requiring all infant beds manufactured and sold in the country to have fixed sides.

[11] In June 2016, Canada implemented a similar ban on the sale, importation, or distribution of any infant bed containing drop sides effective December 29, 2016.

A carbonized cradle was found in the remains of Herculaneum left from the destruction of the city by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 CE.

They have a lower center of gravity, more mass, a broader base of support and can hold a larger baby than a bassinet.

Older children can use items such as pillows and toys to construct a platform to facilitate escape, defeating the major design criteria and endangering the child.

Bumpers (cushioning), also known as "rompers" in some regions, are marketed to keep children from bumping against the hard sides and hurting themselves or becoming entrapped between the crib slats.

[24] The Safe Sleep for Babies Act of 2021 banned the sale or manufacture of crib bumpers in the United States, along with infant beds inclined more than 10°.

Mobiles are musical toys to soothe the baby to sleep, but should be removed before the child can stand (8 to 12 months of age).

Without either professional endorsement or scientific evidence that they prevent SIDS, apnea monitors are available to alert the caregiver if the baby stops breathing.