As far as the bumpers go, I'm sure it's very very rare that something actually goes wrong if used properly. They are made for a reason. My oldest got his legs caught in his crib one too many times, so I used them until he learned to pull himself up...they can use them as little climbing ladders to climb out of the crib. The breathable crib bumpers are awesome. I just bought a couple (two different colors) from One Step Ahead. www.onestepahead.com

I use a "leash" for Kai's bink and it works wonders.