Crib bumpers are part of the package when purchasing baby bedding. The question that has been posed recently is are they safe? This is something that parents have to answer for themselves. The reason for the original creation of these supposed safety items was to keep children from getting their heads stuck between the railings of the baby bed. This was before the regulation that bed rails could not be more than 3" apart and when railings were almost big enough for a child to simply crawl out of the bed themselves.
In today's world, crib bumpers are used to keep babies from hitting their heads. They also serve to keep little arms and legs from getting stuck between the railings.Sometimes parents simply like the look of the all-in-one inclusive set of baby bedding that naturally includes the bumper. The safety concerns are valid and ones that parents are highly unlikely to be talked out of.
Crib Bed
There are medical companies that are choosing to argue that crib bumpers are not safe at all. They believe that babies can be suffocated when pressing their faces against the thick materials. These same experts claim that a baby can't hit their head with enough force to harm themselves. These same people claim that no injury could come from a child getting their arm or leg caught in the slats of the crib. If one must have crib bumpers then these experts recommend parents purchase one made of mesh and not the solid ones.
The reality is that there is no proof of any of these claims. If there were then crib bumpers would no longer be available to purchase. So it falls to the parent to make the best decision for their infant. As things go it comes down to doing your own research and making an educated decision. There is evidence that children have been injured and possibly killed because of these items. However, the same can be said of seat belts for cars. The question is what is the ratio of children injured? Washington University performed a study in 2005 and found that over a 20 year period (1985-2005) a total of 27 children were killed and 25 were injured because of crib bumpers. A total of 52 children over 20 years. Again it is up to parents to make the final decision as to whether or not they think the risk is worth taking.