As a new parent the safety and well-being of your new infant is one of the most important things for you to consider.
Unfortunately in the past there have been many instances of children's products which have not been manufactured with safety in mind, and as a result kids have been injured.
Gradually there is a recognition that products manufactured for children need to observe certain safety standards to minimize the risk that children may be harmed by using any particular product.
Both government and private organisations are now paying more attention to safety in children's products.
One of the products which, in the past, has suffered from issues relating to child safety is bassinets.
Not just bassinets but all forms of nursery furniture including cribs and cradles and others.
As a new parent one of the first decisions you will be making is what you will buy for your newborn to sleep in.
There's a range of choices including a bassinet or cradle or a crib.
I would caution against buying older style cribs or bassinets second-hand.
In many cases older cribs and bassinets were not manufactured to the safety standards observed today.
If you buy new however there is an easy way to tell whether the manufacturer has manufactured a particular crib or bassinet that meets appropriate safety standards.
There is an organisation which is called the JPMA which stands for the Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association.
The JPMA is a trade organisation which represents a wide range of manufacturers of products, including nursery products, which are to be used by children.
The JPMA has a certification program which sets certain safety standards which are required to be met by any manufacturer of any product to be used by children, and this includes bassinets and cribs.
The aim of this program is that any product manufactured to be used by children can be sold with certification, (providing it passes the requirements of certification), which demonstrates that the product has been manufactured up to the high safety standards of the JPMA.
In other words it is as safe as it is possible to make for children to use.
So if you're in the market for nursery furniture for a very young child such as a bassinet or crib, always look first for the seal of approval of the JPMA.
And enjoy your new baby.