A national study covering 19 years of injury data by the Nationwide Children’s Hospital reveals that babies are injured in sleeping areas like cribs, playpens and bassinets at "an alarming rate."

“Each year in this country, 9,500 children are rushed to hospital emergency departments for a crib-related injury. That’s 26 children a day,” said Dr. Gary Smith, who led the study.

According to the press release, this is the first time researchers have used national data to log the numbers and types of injuries babies suffer in sleeping areas.

While approximately one-third of the injuries were soft-tissue types that are not typically very serious, about one out of every five injuries were concussions or head injuries. Most of the injuries (83 percent) involved cribs, and two-thirds were the result of a fall. The number of falls increased with a child's age due to the ability to climb out of the crib, reported the study.

The study doctors offered the following tips to protect babies in sleeping areas:

1. Select a crib, playpen or bassinet that meets all current safety standards, one that does not have drop down sides and has not been recalled. To see which models are on the recall list, parents can go to www.recalls.gov.


2. Always place your baby on his or her back in any crib or sleeping area.


3. Do not place pillows, bumpers, stuffed animals, sleep positioners or anything else in the crib or sleeping area with your baby.


4. Do not put blankets in the crib or sleeping area. To keep babies warm, dress them appropriately, but do not use blankets.


5. Check cribs, playpens and bassinets often to make sure there are no loose or broken parts, and as your baby gets older, be aware of their strength and mobility.

According to Smith, "The safest crib is a bare crib without anything in it other than the mattress and a tight-fitting sheet."

Read more about the crib injury study at the Nationwide Children's Hospital's website.