# What makes a moses basket safe?



## GoddessKristie

When I had DS I read all the latest info on the safest way for babies to sleep. Over and over I read that they shouldn't have anything in their crib, including a bumper. However I have been seeing lots of moses baskets lately that have full liners. How is this safe? Does anyone see any dangers here?


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## GoddessKristie

Wow, I'm getting the impression from the lack of response that lots of people use them without knowing that they are safe...


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## Trinitty

By full liner, do you mean those pretty covers that surround the Moses basket?

I would say they are safe because the covers are firmly tied/looped over the base of the handles and the baby is too little to pull it up and off of the handles and can't wrap him or herself up in it.

I didn't know that we aren't supposed to used bumpers now. What's the reasoning behind that??

Trin.


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## veganone

I didn't use one, but I'm guessing that the babes are too small to do much moving around in the Moses basket. We used the bassinet that came with our stroller for a bit in the beginning and it had full on sides, but DD was too small to roll over and smush her face into them...


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## Renesis

I always wondered that myself. I used one with my newborn twins but didn't put the liner around the sides (bumpers, etc. are linked with increased risk of SIDS due to lowered airflow around the babe).


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## Neth Naneth

My sister using a MB for her 9 month old when she naps (or at least she did, maybe now the baby is too big). I never looked at the basket closely so I am not sure of how her sides were but I am certainly going to mention the thing about bumpers that Renesis mentioned, :thanks.


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## westcoastma

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Trinitty* 
I didn't know that we aren't supposed to used bumpers now. What's the reasoning behind that??

Trin.

Suffocation and increased risk of SIDS is the reasoning behind not using crib bumpers. I don't know the stats but was always told through my prenatal classes, info I've read, word of mouth etc to not use them, or anything else in the crib with the babe. The downside is that their arms/legs would get stuck in the bars or heads banged on the sides but I think that's a better option than dead baby.

Though wth do I know. Never had ds sleep in the crib. I'm super paranoid about our blanket in bed with him but still use it, yet careful enough not to buy the crib bumper. ???

Don't know much about moses baskets. Thought it was a waste getting one for our fam. We have a cradle, crib, and bed. No basket required.







But I would think that if it's JUST fabric, and not some padding underneath, then it would be reasonably safe. Like, you can breathe through a thin layer of fabric, but not a bunch of matting.


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## justamy

we have a moses basket and the liner is just cloth with a quilted layer. the whole thing is one piece that fits under the cushion in the basket. my understanding of why bumpers are bad is that the baby can squiggle in between the bumper and the mattress and suffocate. and the bumper is also supposed to restrict the flow of fresh air, increasing the risk or SIDS -- though that doesn't make any sense to me. in any event in the moses basket the sides are pretty low, and laying on her back, i'm pretty sure the baby gets plenty of fresh air.

though i never really worried about SIDS too much. and as a side note, i also have bumpers in the crib (they aren't any thicker than a comforter anyways).


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## NiteNicole

I think most people use a Moses basket when they're kind of keeping the baby close. You wouldn't put the baby down in the basket and then wander off. We used ours a LOT (I always thought they were beautiful but useless till someone gave me one and it got a LOT of use for the first few weeks. Now it holds stuffed animals) - so I could put the baby down next to me or on the counter in the kitchen or whatever.

And as someone else said, you can really only use them for a little while - usualy while the baby is still swaddled and not yet wiggly.


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## Trinitty

Hmm, I hadn't heard that about bumpers.

It really seems like researchers are grasping at a lot of ideas in order to explain SIDS.

I've often thought that it was a lack of co-sleeping that lead to SIDS in North America and England.... but what about napping? What do we do then?

I can see the point about thick blankets, pillows, etc, but not about air-flow over top of the crib bumpers, that seems "out there."

Trin.


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## AaronsMommy

The following agencies all recommend against putting bumpers in cribs:

American Academy of Pediatrics, Health Canada, National Center for Health and Safety in Child Care, the Consumer Product Safety Commission and the First Candle/National SIDS Alliance

You can visit any or all of their web-sites for indepth information regarding this decision or you type "crib bumper safety" into Google for lots of information.

If you are worried about litte legs and arms getting stuck through the crib slats, there are lots of safer alternatives, like breatheable bumpers.


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## snt88

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Renesis* 
I always wondered that myself. I used one with my newborn twins but didn't put the liner around the sides (bumpers, etc. are linked with increased risk of SIDS due to lowered airflow around the babe).

Me too (but no twins!).


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## MamaNan

I used a moses basket for my dd when she was little. We couldn't use it for very long because she outgrew it. We never used it for night time sleeping. Mostly just for naps as g-ma's house, which meant I was never very far. I think there is less risk with the moses basket versus the crib bumpers because the lining is fairly thin and the sides of the baskets are short which allows for ample air flow.


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## blueridgewoman

Quote:


Originally Posted by *GoddessKristie* 
Wow, I'm getting the impression from the lack of response that lots of people use them without knowing that they are safe...

Man, that is quite the leap!







:


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## LilacMama

Bump.

This was my same question. I wanted to buy one to use instead of a bassinet (cuter, more portable, etc), but I can't get over these fru-fru bumper pads that I keep reading are a huge hazard when in cribs!

Should I get one that doesn't have any lining at all -- just the basket and mattress?


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## BathrobeGoddess

Moved to Family Safety!


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## lifeguard

I agree that for most babies a moses basket is only used when they are very small & not moving yet. They just can't really roll into the side.


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## EviesMom

I used one when DS was really little. I think the thing is, they're not in them for very long/old so they're not very likely to roll into the side. I wouldn't leave DS in it unsupervised as you could in a crib for hours. More like, I'm making dinner and this is an easy place to have the babe be nearby but not on me. I don't think there's really much danger with how most AP families use them.


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## LaughingHyena

I had not heard about the air flow thing unitil this, does anyone have links to the research.

I do remember reading not to carry the child in the moses basket because of the sides closing together when you pick it up.

I have always been told the bumper pads in cots need to be removed as soon as the LO starts sitting up so they cant use them to pull them selves up. The worry being that children could then use them as a foot hold to get out of the cot.

It still seems unlikely with a quilted bumper but I could see it with the old foam type which my younger siblings had. It was pretty solid.


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