Is a Baby Mattress Really Safe?

Buying a mattress for your baby is a very serious matter. For the last five decades, ever since the SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome) cases had been identified by the medical fraternity, the bed has been the focus of a number of safety measures. There are a few things that you should keep in mind while shopping for the baby mattress:

• Size of the mattress – always go for the standard size so you will have it fit perfectly with the crib you have bought. In case the mattress is too small, the baby may roll and get in between the mattress and the walls of the crib. On the other hand in the mattress is too large, it will roll on the sides making the middle lumpy and uncomfortable.
• Best type of baby mattress – You have a choice between foam baby mattress and poly-urethane foam baby mattress. The latter is more economical, though both types are found to be highly suitable from the point of your baby’s safety.
• Check the firmness of the baby mattress you intend to buy. The firmer the mattress is, the better it is. A good way to check whether your mattress is indeed as firm as it should be is to try to bend into two. The more you exert yourself for bending the better the mattress is.
• Resilience of the mattress – this is a very important aspect of the mattress. By resilience it is meant how fast the mattress regains its original shape after it is squeezed (by a person sleeping or sitting on it). The faster it regains it s shape after someone sat on it or pressed it, the better the mattress it.

The above is an indicative list of what you should actually look for when you choose a mattress for your baby, with special emphasis to safety and comfort. Additional features should be allergy proof, fire resistant, water proof and stain proof/ resistant as the case may be.

Once the safety has been taken care of, you can also look at the weight of the mattress (the heavier it is the better) so you will know which one to choose. Beauty and the height of the baby mattress is also very important. Most mattresses come in standard size, but you can find some that are specially made for particular types of baby beds.