Between the crib recalls and a new study issued a few weeks ago, new parents have more to worry about than ever.
First-time mom, Danielle Riley, has so much to look forward to, and yet so much to worry about.
"If I didn't buy something that was safe and my baby got hurt, I would never forgive myself," said Riley.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission found in each of the last three years, an average of 64,000 children under the age of five were injured because of nursery products. Cribs are the number one killer of kids under the age of five; each year, an average of 31 children die in their cribs.
"We do so much everyday, all day, to keep them safe," said Georgia Fiebirch, mother of two and Austin native. "But what we do at nighttime, we put them in a dangerous environment."
Fiebirch worried about her own children, so she studied up on the issue and founded a company based on what she called Go Mama Go Designs. She found the biggest problem was bedding.
"The mattress should fit tightly, the sheets should fit tightly and you just don't want a lot of soft loose bedding in the crib," said Fiebirch
That includes ever-popular crib bumpers.
"If you look at any crib bumper, there are warning labels on the crib bumper saying to remove it as soon as the child can move because they can step on it, fall out of the crib, jump out of the crib," said Fiebirch.
She is now developing safer products, including Wonder Bumpers.
"You just slip them around the crib slat and they zip downward," said Fiebirch.
They provide the needed cushion without the suffocation hazards, and they allow the air to flow freely through the crib.
The Wonder Bumpers are more expensive; a set of 24 starts at around $100.
"I had never thought about anything like this," said Riley.
For expectant parents like Riley, she says it's nice to know there's another mom thinking of ways to keep children safe.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission is currently studying ways to make cribs, beds and bassinets safer. It's possible it could have new safety requirements by next year.
