A Mortician and TikToker Warns Parents Against Using Crib Tents

You may think tents are a genius way to keep your toddler in their crib, but experts say think again.

Fact checked by Sarah Scott

For us parents, sometimes it’s about simple survival. As a mom of five, I’m always game for a headache-saving hack or product that can help me get through the day—or, perhaps even more crucially, the night. Although, we have to do our research since some of these creative, self-anointed “genius” solutions can be quite dangerous.

In our house, there’s nothing worse than those 1 a.m. (and 3 a.m., and 4 a.m.) sleep interruptions, considering I’m already exhausted beyond the realm of all human comprehension. The toddler years have proven to be especially brutal when kids are challenging you at every turn, especially at bedtime.

For instance, your little one may decide it’s super fun to climb out of their crib every few hours (or minutes) to roam the house after hours. Yeah, you’re so not getting any shuteye during this delightful phase. Many moms and dads have turned to crib tents in a desperate attempt to contain a “flight risk” and keep tots put so the entire family gets a good night’s sleep.

But a viral TikTok has put crib tents on blast for being potentially dangerous—and even deadly. A popular creator who shares content using the handle @lovee.miss.lauren, and goes by the name Lauren the Mortician, is urging parents to make sure their favorite products intended for children’s sleep are safe. In this case, she talks about crib tents, and why they can be hazardous to littles in more ways than one.

In her TikTok, Lauren explains she has seen children suffer “lasting, lifelong” injuries and even, unthinkably, death as the result of crib tents (sometimes called crib nets). She says there are three ways the products present danger to small children. They include an entanglement hazard, the potential of a child getting stuck between the crib mattress and the crib tent, and, the possibility of a pole from the tent becoming dislodged, and puncturing a child.

Lauren also points out how the bows that secure the tent to the crib can come loose very easily. She implores parents who do decide to use products like these to check the bows are securely fastened each day.

We turned to Ari Brown, MD, an Austin, Texas-based pediatrician and founder of the Baby 411 book series and parent education, to get her take on Lauren’s claim that crib tents are unsafe.

She acknowledges that toddlers making an Olympic sport out of escaping from their cribs is a problem many frustrated caregivers face, but wants parents to understand, “There have been reports of crib tents being a safety risk, and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) [issued a] warning over a decade ago.”

Indeed, as far back as 2012, the CPSC appealed to parents and caregivers not to use crib tents and play yard tents manufactured by Tots in Mind Inc. due to the potential for the products to cause serious injury or death in infants and toddlers. A recall was even issued following the death of a 2-year-old boy who became entrapped between the bottom rail of a play yard tent and the top rail of a play yard. It’s important to note that this company has since gone out of business.

Similar products continue to be made by other companies—with some being recalled—to this day. In June of 2023, the CPSC warned parents and caregivers to “immediately stop using CCATTO Baby Tents due to suffocation risk and fall hazard.” These tents failed to meet infant sleep product safety regulations and even contained a banned infant pillow.

Consumer Reports includes crib tents on its list of dangerous baby products to avoid, citing that babies “can get wrapped up in the fabric and strangle.” And the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) says “bare is best” when it comes to a baby’s sleep environment, instructing parents to keep infants’ cribs free of pillows, crib bumpers, stuffed animals, and soft bedding.

Due to the safety risks associated with crib tents, Dr. Brown says instead of using a product like these, “If you have a toddler who likes climbing out [of their crib], my advice is to take the crib mattress out, and just have the toddler sleep on it on the floor.” Sure, this will take some getting used to (for you and your child), but if you make certain modifications to a little one’s room, it’s a far safer option.

Dr. Brown shared these tips with Parents to essentially make a child’s room into their crib, and “a safe sleep space where the toddler cannot hurt themselves.”

• Remove shelving or anything they can climb up on, or pull down.

• Secure any cords, outlets, etc.

• Secure the room door, so the toddler cannot get out and roam the entire house while everyone is asleep.

Another option for you to consider if your child is consistently climbing out of their crib is to transition your child to a toddler bed. That's a good, intermediate step between a crib and a big kid's bed.

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Read the original article on Parents.