Parenting 4 Kids Nationally accredited, 4 Kids Early Learning Network serves children and families throughout the Mon Valley. Through this column, 4 Kids staff members answer reader questions about raising children in the critical early years. E-mail questions for consideration to: questions@4kidsearlyed.org, or mail to: 4 Kids Questions, 445 Fourth St., Braddock, PA 15104.

Q: My wife and I just announced to our families and friends that we're pregnant with our first child. Amongst all the excitement, we're getting gifts and family heirlooms. One such heirloom is my family's crib that all the children have slept in. However, it doesn't look like it would meet the safety regulations we've been reading about in the parenting books. What should we do?

A: You and your wife are right to be concerned. The Consumer Product Safety Commission says that between 30 and 40 babies die each year as a result of injuries sustained from old cribs.

The fact that your family crib hasn't injured anyone doesn't mean it's safe: Besides not meeting current regulations, it might have become weakened or damaged with age.

The Safety Commission and the American Academy of Pediatrics list these "danger signs" in old cribs (please note that this is not an all-inclusive list):

Spaces between crib slats that are larger than 2³/₈ inches (the new standard)

Missing or broken pieces (slats, hardware, etc.)

Decorative features (posts, cut-outs, etc.) that can catch or entangle children's clothing

Mattresses that are not firm or do not fit the crib properly; you should be able to fit no more than two fingers between the mattress and the crib -- more space is dangerous

Chipped paint -- because old paint may be lead-based

Examine the crib carefully. Read all you can about safety requirements. And then, knowing that you and your wife have the ultimate responsibility for the safety of your child, go with your instincts about the crib -- and the other heirlooms you're receiving.

If you decide not to use the crib, there may be some hurt feelings among family members. Be gracious -- the crib is a well-intentioned gift -- but explain your concerns, citing the new safety regulations. Perhaps there's another family heirloom -- with no safety implications -- that you can cherish, or another way you can show that family tradition is important to you.

For more information about cribs and the safety of other older items, or to look up baby items that have been recalled, please visit the Web site of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission at www.cpsc.gov.