A September 2007 study in the Journal of Pediatrics concluded that crib and bassinet bumpers are unsafe because they can suffocate or strangle an infant.
Parents should keep pillows—including crib bumpers—and other soft materials out of their baby’s sleeping area, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the “Back to Sleep” campaign, which reduced Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) deaths by more than 40% between 1992 and 2000. Additionally, data from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission show it is extremely rare for the contact between an infant and the sides of the crib to cause long-term injury.
So while the crib bumpers may give parents a feeling of security, in reality these soft objects can pose a serious risk to infants.