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I ask this sincerely, because I need a bassinet: how is it that crib bumpers aren't safe but so many bassinets have fully padded sides like this? Esp when bassinets are used in the first 3-5 months, when SIDS risk is highest? What am I not getting?

My question too...

I think it's because newborns don't really move from where you put them, so there's not much of a risk of them moving to the sides of the bassinet.

bumpers are an issue on 2 seperate fronts:

1) getting caught in them (which happens when they move around) -- there was a study released just recently about the dangers they pose http://mednews.wustl.edu/news/page/normal/10120.html

2) Reduced air flow/rebreathing:
"Rebreathing of air is another concern with crib bumper pads. The bumper reduces the flow of fresh air around baby during sleep. The American Academy of Pediatrics suggests that some infants, when they are overheated or lack sufficient oxygen during sleep, are unable to arouse themselves enough to prevent hypoxia and death. The AAP states that re-breathing of air may in fact be a contributing factor to SIDS."

http://babyproducts.about.com/od/recallsandsafety/a/bumpersafety.htm

kris tina, it is the latter point that Julianna and I are wondering about...

I think if the bassinet were woven , so that air could flow, like the antique bassinet we used for our babies, it wouldn't scare me so much. (ours was like a Lloyd Loom, made of twisted paper, and quite well ventilated)

The padding issue is why I won't be purchasing a bassinet or moses basket for when my husband and I have a baby. I've noticed that the majority of nursery pics on AT feature full crib sets (bumpers and all), which I find a worrisome trend among such an educated group of people. Style over safety?

"I've noticed that the majority of nursery pics on AT feature full crib sets (bumpers and all), which I find a worrisome trend among such an educated group of people. Style over safety?" Amen sister! I have noticed this myself and I couldn't figure it out for the life of me.

I've always avoided bumpers -- partly because of the danger of entanglement and partly because they just seem fussy and unnecessary -- but I've never read about the rebreathing/SIDS connection. Wow, scary.

The article about crib bumpers that I linked to states that bumbers originally came about in order to protect babies heads from getting caught *between* rails, as they were often spaced too far apart, and many children gat their heads caught. Bumpers were *not* designed to protect heads from bumping against the rails! Since saftey regulations are now in place to make sure that the rails are spaced closely enough, bumpers are uneccessary and create more safety problems than they fix.

Bumpers serve a purely design function now -- how many friends have I had that agonized over their crib bedding selection (because it all comes as a cute set! Most of them you can't buy separately) as if it were the most important part of putting together a nursery? I think for most people, it is what creates the design, and they do not know how to do it otherwise. The smallestcoolest nursery contest though, showed how many other things can be used to pull together the design of a nursery. Or look at the nursery tour posted yesterday, Sara's Shared Nursery -- there were lots of fun and interesting design elements, and absolutely no bumpers. People have to learn to not use bumpers, and AT:Nursery has shown how others do it.

So... whats the verdict? I saw this a while ago and love it, along with the cariboo bassinet. Is it safe or not? Because of the padded sides? Would you buy it?

There's a solid consensus among credible health experts that it is NOT safe for babies to sleep amidst cushy padded sides.

Joy R's is correct -- go through the photos on the site, and you'll see lots of bumpers, fluffy blankets, stuffed animals, and pillows, all usually recommended against as SIDS risks. Since the editors apparently don't accept the common wisdom on what reduces the risk of SIDS, it'd be enlightening for them to post an article explaining why the health experts are wrong and sharing their sources for this belief.

While I can understand the concern that many of the comments point to, I'm not sure that I can agree and "write off" all the bassinets with bumpers. Further, I'm not sure that I can feel safe knowing I don't have bumpers on my bassinet. I think the most damaging comment here is that there is a "consensus" among the scientific community - there is not. Much is not known about SIDS and I doubt that it is because infants get trapped in a corner of a bassinet. If they are able to move to it, they are able to move away. Early theories pointed to sleeping on the stomach...the latest theory points to bacteria.
http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20080530/bacteria_babydeaths_080530/20080530?hub=Health

Both U.S and Canada have safety inspection agencies that allow the sale of cribs and bassinets with bumpers. I would argue that not buying a bassinet because it has bumpers is creating a false sense of security based on theories that are contradictory and unclear. The only thing that can be agreed here is that it is difficult to agree on why SIDS is still a problem. Paranoia can sometimes do more damage than good.
BTW, are those same mothers boiling plastic bottles and feeding their children genetically engineered formula?