The best defense for healthy babies and happy parents is knowledge. Always use a crib sheet that fits securely on mattress and wraps around the mattress corners. Never place infants to sleep on pillows, sofa cushions, adult beds, waterbeds, beanbags, or any other surface not specifically designed for infant sleep. Always keep the drop side up when baby is in the crib. Crib and mattress support should have NO missing, loose, broken or improperly installed screws, brackets or other hardware.
Babies can strangle if their clothes become caught on corner-posts.
These should be unscrewed or sawed off, and the remaining end panel should be sanded smooth. No cutout areas on the headboard or footboard so a baby's head cannot get trapped. No cracked or peeling paint, splinters or rough edges. Cover baby with a thin covering, such as a crib blanket, receiving blanket or other blankets specifically designed for infants, only reaching as far as baby's chest, and tuck the covering around the crib mattress. For newborns, consider swaddling.