Don't let your baby sleep with any soft objects, including stuffed animals, until they're at least 12 months old. Soft toys, blankets, crib bumpers, pillows, and other bedding increase the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) and death by suffocation or strangulation.
You do not want to use any crib toys that can potentially cover your baby's face or suffocate them. Additionally, avoid anything that has little pieces that can fall off and your baby can choke on. But, if you add a baby mobile, crib aquarium, or another safe toy to your baby's crib, it can be perfectly safe.
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that parents keep their babies' cribs free of anything that might block their breathing (e.g., blankets, pillows, quilts, comforters, stuffed animals) for at least the first 12 months.
Your toddler, after 12-months-old, can sleep with a stuffed animal or doll if she does not have any respiratory allergies. In fact sometimes this is recommended.
Safe Sleep Environment
The AAP recommends that under the age of one, no loose items such as blankets, toys, and other soft objects should be in your child's crib. For the first year, it is recommended to keep the crib completely empty; no blankets, bumpers or toys.
After 12 months, it's okay for your baby to bring a special toy or blanket to bed for comfort. It's still safest to keep their crib relatively empty – so don't give your child a pillow until they've transitioned from the crib to a bed.
This growth may be evident like the sleep and awake patterns, or very subtle changes may be seen like changes in respiration, blood pressure or temperature. The peak incidence of SIDS occurs between 1 – 4 months of age; 90% of cases occur before 6 months of age. Babies continue to be at risk for SIDS up to 12 months.
Wait until they are 24 months old.
The recommended age for using a pillow is now 2 years old. Before then, there's a danger of suffocation due to the extra material in the bed. Your child's own development will be a large factor in determining when they can use a pillow.
Babies should sleep alone in their own crib, play yard or bassinet on a firm, flat mattress with a taut sheet. Keep their sleep surface clutter-free, with no blankets, pillows, crib bumpers, stuffed animals or other objects. Place your baby on their back for every sleep.
Air mattresses or air beds pose an especially dangerous hazard to infants. Well-meaning parents may mistakenly think that a firm air mattress is “firm enough” to be a safe sleep surface; however, the Consumer Product Safety Commission warns that air mattresses should not be used in infants less than 15 months of age.
Try not to over-bundle your baby in clothes if you think they might get cold at night — overheating is another risk factor for SIDS. Make sure the room is at a comfortably cool temperature, so the little one could sleep soundly. You can introduce a blanket to a baby when they are about two years old.
Pillows, quilts, comforters, sheepskins, stuffed animals, and other soft products should not be placed in a crib. Babies have suffocated on such items in the crib.
The only things that can go in the crib with your baby are: A tight-fitted sheet that is manufactured for your infant's sleep surface. A pacifier with no pacifier attachments. Instead of blankets, to keep your baby warm consider using a wearable blanket or sleeper onesie.
General guidelines suggest waiting until a baby is around 12 months old before introducing stuffed animals to their sleep routine. There are several factors that can help determine the right time to introduce stuffed animals to a baby's sleep environment.
These innocent looking toys and plush items can be deadly because they can potentially cover a baby's face and cause suffocation. In fact, experts say that a baby should never sleep with soft objects during the first 12 months of life.
A: The American Academy of Pediatrics states it is unsafe for babies younger than 12 months old to sleep with blankets. Q: What are the risks of using a blanket too early? A: There is an increased risk of suffocation when introducing blankets too early. The same goes for stuffed toys, pillows, and crib bumper pads.
Where Should My Toddler Sleep? Your 1- to 2-year-old should still sleep in a safe, secure crib. Before a child's first birthday, blankets are not recommended because of the possible risk of SIDS. But at this age, it's OK to put a light blanket in your child's crib.
If you're wondering how old a toddler is, experts usually consider toddler age to start when your baby/infant turns 1 year of age. The toddler age range is usually from 1 year to 3 years of age.
Infants (children under 1 year) had the highest rate of death in all jurisdictions in 2020, accounting for 59% of all child deaths in Australia. Rates of infant deaths from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) and undetermined causes ranged between 0.16 and 0.52 per 1,000 live births.
White noise may also block out excess stimulation and thus, reduce stress levels in babies. But older claims that white noise can reduce the risk of SIDS need more current research.
While the cause of SIDS is unknown, many clinicians and researchers believe that SIDS is associated with problems in the ability of the baby to arouse from sleep, to detect low levels of oxygen, or a buildup of carbon dioxide in the blood. When babies sleep face down, they may re-breathe exhaled carbon dioxide.
The need for toys in the child's bedroom or an area for activity can vary depending on your family's needs and home structure. If you have a playroom (or play area) near the bedroom then perhaps it works best to keep the bedroom minimal, to have the bedroom as an area for rest and sleeping only.
According to red nose guidelines, soft toys need to be kept out of a baby's sleeping environment until they are aged over seven months. Soft toys can cover a baby's nose and mouth and interfere with their breathing. Before seven months, the risk versus benefits from a soft toy are too high.
Until your baby reaches 12 months of age, make sure that their crib is free of loose items, such as blankets, pillows, toys, and stuffed animals. These items increase the possibility of accidental suffocation. A pacifier, however, is fine to give to your baby and may even reduce the risk of SIDS.
It's usually fine to leave a young baby alone in her crib while you take a quick shower, for example, but this doesn't apply to swings and bouncy seats, which aren't as safe. (If you're really nervous, you can always tote baby in her car seat into the bathroom with you.)