Natural Home Products Blog

There is much controversy about the best way to ensure your baby’s health when it comes to cots and bedding, especially given the disturbing number of infant deaths from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) in the UK each year. Here, we discuss the different factors to take into account when choosing the best cot mattress for your baby, and examine the properties of natural latex cot mattresses and Coconut Coir cot mattresses in particular.

Cot mattresses are a key component of a safe sleeping environment for your baby. When choosing the best type of mattress for ensuring health and safety, consider the size and support, the materials and the cleanliness. It is imperative to choose a mattress that fits snugly into the dimensions of the cot, leaving no gaps into which the baby could fall or become trapped. Advice from some SIDS organisations states that both mattress and mattress protectors should fit firmly into the cot and that there should not be more than a 25mm (1inch) gap between the mattress and the sides and ends of the cot.

While fit is important, so is the stability of the mattress, as a flimsy mattress of the correct dimensions may still shift with the movements of the baby, leaving gaps between the cot edges. Cot mattresses made with Coconut Coir prevent any such movement or dislodging thanks to their stable core of natural rubberised Coconut Coir. This material also gives great support, which is vital when it comes to the orthapaedic health of your baby at such a critical period of spinal development. Newborns develop and change very quickly, and the support of the mattress needs to be able to cope with a baby that quickly becomes heavier and more active. Coconut coir cot mattresses provide a more substantial support than regular foam mattresses; indeed consumer magazine Which reported that Coconut Coir cot mattresses are one of the firmest types of mattresses available.

The materials of your baby’s cot mattress are also important, particularly the absence of any harmful chemicals. Debate still rages about the toxic gas theory: the theory that fungal generation of toxic gases in infant bedding leads to cot death. While there is still no hard evidence that this is the case, and indeed some evidence that refutes it completely, there are still many people who believe that wrapping the cot mattress in a gas-impermeable plastic prevents what they believe is still a very real risk. Even without the evidence that the toxic gas theory is correct, ensuring that your cot mattress is not made with harmful chemicals is highly recommended. All of the natural latex mattresses, organic mattresses and cot mattresses at NaturalHome-Products.com are entirely free of any chemical additives.

Cleanliness and ventilation are also paramount when it comes to the safety of cot mattresses. This is another area where Coconut Coir and natural latex cot mattresses come into their own. Rubberised Coconut Coir is made using the strong fibres from Coconut shells bonded with natural Latex and this provides perfect ventilation. A natural, breathable mattress such as this is vital for the general health of your baby as well as following guidelines set out by SIDS organisations.

In summary, it is widely accepted that a clean, firm, stable, supportive, well-fitting and well-ventilated mattress, preferably a natural cot mattress, is preferable when it comes to the health of your growing baby. While Coconut Coir mattresses are not proven to be better than other cot mattress types, they do have many inherent properties that make them a great choice when choosing a cot mattress.

Natural Home Products has a wide range of natural products to help you create a healthy and natural nursery, from natural latex mattresses and bedding to cots and playpens, all 100% free from chemical additives. View the full range at www.naturalhome-products.com.

You can find out more information about Sudden Infant Death Syndrome at www.fsid.org.uk, the UK’s leading baby charity working to prevent sudden deaths and promote health, including baby sleep product advice. The NHS website also has information preventing SIDS, as well as a guide to choosing nursery bedding. If you are still unsure about which type of nursery furniture or bedding to choose, take a look at this helpful guide, which also includes some important sleep safety precautions. All of the links are also listed in our reference list below.

Reference List

http://www.which.co.uk/advice/choosing-a-cot/buying-a-mattress/index.jsp
http://www.nhs.uk/Planners/pregnancycareplanner/Pages/Cotdeath.aspx
http://www.nhs.uk/planners/pregnancycareplanner/pages/bedding.aspx
http://www.johnlewis.com/Magazine/Feature.aspx?Id=34