October 23, 2011
Is Your Baby Nursery Bedding Fatal?
Reports say that at least 15 % of the over 6000 deaths due to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) are caused by infants sleeping on soft nursery bedding. That brings to mind the question, is your baby bedding safe?
There is a risk of the infant suffocating if soft bedding is used. Especially if the head sinks into the bedding. You may think a soft mattress is more comfortable for your little one, but if it is too soft, it may not be safe. Infants should be supervised at all times and be given the best care to avoid deadly accidents. For example, special care should be taken when placing an infant a crib with a soft mattress so that suffocation does not occur.
To avoid accidents and fatalities, it is best to choose crib bedding and mattresses which are firm and not easily depressed under weight, even the light weight of a baby. By applying force to a certain mattress one can actually feel it resisting the weight and it’s actually one way of discovering the mattress strength. The more resistance a mattress demonstrates, the better the mattress.
Bumper pads in baby cribs pose a threat of suffocation. There is no doubt that the colors and designs are attractive but many recommend removing them from the crib as an infant who falls asleep with their tiny mouth up against the padding will have their movement and breathing restricted and can potentially suffocate.
Parents should have care and precaution because infants are vulnerable and weak during this period. When babies are pressed between the bumper pads and another object and some of the people recommend to buy firmer bumper pads while others just remove all of them from the crib and the latter being the best method because, though rare, there are also cases of strangulation by the strings of the bumper pads and suffocation.
According to some research, mattress contains some toxic gases which may be harmful to baby’s health. Hazardous chemical, fire retardant compounds (phosphorous and arsenic) have been found in mattresses. The chemical compounds present in the mattress when reacts with certain material, then they release toxic gases which is very dangerous for the baby, if the baby inhales a large amount of it while sleeping.
Scientists have since found, however, that a frequently occurring fungus in baby bedding may be one of the reactants which is an aid in releasing these toxic fumes. Do note use nursery bedding which may contain fungus. This may happen if the bedding has been used for a long time. Because infants only sleep in cribs for a short period of time, parents may be tempted to reuse old bedding. However, to avoid the existence of such fungus, this should not be the case. Added to that, rather than an old used nursery bedding, a new one looks much beautiful.
In addition, there is some concern about synthetic fabric in baby bedding sets. While there is no solid proof that synthetic fabrics are harmful to a baby, you may want to stick to natural fibers. There are plenty of stylish cotton baby bedding sets available (one of my favorites is the Trend Lab’s Maya crib bedding), so there is no need to sacrifice style for safety.
Taking into account all these different things, moms and dads should be able to decide if the baby’s bedding is safe. To avoid sleepless nights, parents should just choose safe beddings for their babies, it will not only relieve them of their worries but will also let the baby enjoy his/her slumber.
Filed by neville1way at 4:52 am under Uncategorized
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