The Safe Nursery

Designing your dream nursery isn't just about choosing a cute theme and poring over paint colors. While it's easy to get caught up in all that fun stuff, you need to spend just as much time making sure it's a safe space for your baby. Home accidents send nearly 2 million children under the age of 4 to the emergency room every year, according to Safe Kids Worldwide. So before your new baby moves in, use these tips to inspect the big potential trouble spots in your nursery.

Take Careful Crib Notes
Make sure yours meets current government safety standards. The slats shouldn't be more than 2 3/8 inches apart (about the width of a soda can) so your baby can't get her head stuck in them. (Cribs with cutout designs on the end panels pose a similar threat.) Check out the corner posts too -- they shouldn't have any decorative knobs or other elements on top, which could snag your baby's clothing and lead to strangulation or other serious injuries.


Check (and regularly recheck) the screws, bolts, and mattress supports to make sure they're not loose or broken.