Health Tip: Crib Mattress Safety

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(HealthDay News) -- When picking out baby's crib, you must make sure you've chosen a mattress that's safe.

The mattress must fit snugly inside the crib, says the U.S. National Safety Council. If two adult fingers can fit between the sides of the crib and the mattress, the mattress is too small for the crib.

Never attempt to protect baby's mattress with plastic, such as with a mattress cover or plastic bag of any type. Those materials can stick to an infant's face and pose a suffocation hazard.

Make sure that the mattress is flat and firm, and not too soft. Also, to further reduce the risk of suffocation, don't place soft blankets or pillows beneath your child, the council advises.

-- Diana Kohnle

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