You May Want To Think Twice Before Borrowing This Children's Essential From Your Hotel

Traveling with a baby comes with extra stress. Naturally, you'll need to make special arrangements for the little ones — perhaps by designating a baby-only space in your hotel room with their cribs or portable sleepers, or by borrowing those items at your hotel. And while the second option might seem easier since it saves you from carrying bulky items, it's often wiser to go through that extra effort than risk your baby's health. Hotel cribs and portable sleepers are not always sanitized as thoroughly as they should be.

Babies tend to chew or mouth crib surfaces, and in doing so, they can ingest harmful residue from cleaning products that may pose serious health risks. There's also the danger of germs spreading through this habit. If hotels have cribs available for rent, they'll typically rotate the same cribs among dozens of guests, sometimes without proper inspection or sanitation between uses. And according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), infants and young children are at higher risk when traveling because their developing immune systems make them more vulnerable to infectious and dermatologic hazards. So while hotels may have good intentions in providing these amenities, shared baby cribs can harbor unseen germs, making them less safe for your little ones.

Aside from cleanliness, another major reason to reconsider putting your baby in a borrowed hotel crib is safety. According to research published in the Journal of Pediatrics, between 1999 and 2004, 21 deaths were reported to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (USCPSC) that were linked to portable cribs and playpens.  These were mostly caused by suffocation and asphyxia as well as problems with the crib's construction or assembly. This sad statistic is one reason you need to pay close attention if you're renting baby gear for your vacation.

The USCPSC states that only sleeping products that meet the federal safety requirements should be used for infants. Cribs should be sturdy with mattresses that fit tightly without any gaps. However, hotel cribs might not be properly inspected after every use, and they might be older models with some wear or damage. Moreover, even if the hotel crib does meet federal safety standards, hotel cribs are usually designed to be compact rather than comfortable, and they might not be the right size for your baby. If you can afford to, it's always best to buy a crib yourself and bring it along on vacation.

If you're planning to travel with a baby and don't want to rely on hotels for rented cribs and other gear, you still have a few other safe options. If you don't want to carry the load by bringing a crib yourself, you can call your hotels in advance to ask if they have cribs for rent and, if they do, how they clean, store, and maintain them. Reputable hotels should be able to provide you with such details. They should be able to reveal the last time they carried out sanitation, and then, you'll be able to judge whether their cribs meet federal standards (as well as your own personal ones). And if you must use the crib upon getting there, ensure you inspect it properly. Make sure there are no loose screws or damaged parts, and carefully check if the gaps are not wider than they should normally be.

However, relying solely on your hotel for a crib could create an unfortunate situation. If the crib is not up to standards, then you're stuck without anywhere to put your baby. The best alternative is bringing your own travel crib or portable bassinet. Many modern crib designs meet federal safety guidelines. Bringing your own baby gear will guarantee that your baby will sleep in a space perfect for them that only your family has used. There will be neither hidden germs nor questionable assembly involved. The safest way to travel with infants is to utilize clean, familiar equipment specifically made for them. Doing that will make you see the value of traveling with little children rather than the drawbacks.