Fans Are Very Upset With Erin and Ben Napier's Baby Furniture
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Erin Napier just hit a major milestone with her youngest child, Mae, who has grown out of her crib and is ready to move into a big-kid bed. To commemorate the transition, the Home Town star shared photos of the crib on Instagram. While many parents can relate to this bittersweet moment, others voiced their concern about the safety of the crib’s design—specifically, the fact that it has crib bumpers.
In the Instagram post, Erin shared that her husband Ben started drawing plans for the crib minutes after the couple learned they were expecting their first child, Helen, in 2017.
“He built it from white oak with one tiny plug of heart pine in the top rail that came from inside the wall of our house so his daughter would have a piece of home that belonged to her,” she wrote in the caption. “Mae slept in it for the last time last night so here, we can remember it.”
Along with behind-the-scenes images of Ben building the crib, Erin showed photos of the crib with and without bumpers. A few fans—including those in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom—strongly cautioned that there are actually government bans on crib bumpers.
Bumpers were created to prevent injuries such as a baby's head slipping between crib slats or bumping against the crib's hardwood, according to Healthline. However, a 2007 study from The Journal of Pediatrics deemed them unsafe in the U.S. The study linked bumpers to 27 infant deaths caused by suffocation, either due to the baby's face being pressed against them or its ties becoming entangled around the baby's neck. By 2011, the American Academy of Pediatrics updated its guidelines to advise against their use. Additionally, the Consumer Products and Safety Commission recommends using a bare crib with only a fitted sheet.
On the flip side, the Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association disagrees. It stated in 2015 that if crib bumpers meet voluntary safety standards for infant bedding, they’re safe to use. While there are many conflicting guidelines regarding crib bumpers, Healthline recommends consulting a doctor or avoiding bumpers altogether.
Beyond the crib safety discussion, many fans responded to Erin's post with sweet sentiments and suggestions for what the couple should do with the crib now. “Hopefully this can be a family heirloom that the girls can use when they are adults and starting their own families,” one person wrote.
Another added, “I would change it into a little reading bench, he can put it at the bottom of her bed.”
Others suggested turning the crib into a twin bed or using pieces to craft a headboard or footboard. A few people suggested they save the crib for a possible third child of their own. The options are numerous!
Finally, many commenters reminisced about watching Ben build this same crib on a previous episode of Home Town. For those who are feeling sentimental and want to watch how it was made, you'll find it documented in episode 10 of season two, titled “Room to Grow.”
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