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Crib Mattress and Bedding
Crib Mattress:
The mattress is one
of the most important purchases you will make for the nursery since a good
mattress has been shown to reduce the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome
(SIDS). For this reason, consumers with a finite budget for a crib and mattress
should consider a less expensive crib and purchase one of the better crib
mattresses. However, the difference in cost between a low cost/ low
quality mattress and one of the top mattresses is only thirty or forty dollars.
The mattress rated #1 by a leading consumer magazine for the past 5 years (a
high density foam mattress) should cost under $100 while a low density foam
mattress with a thin vinyl cover should retail from $49 to $60. For the
safety of your newborn child, the price difference is negligible.
The following are four primary considerations when buying
your mattress:
1. Firmness
The mattress can be soft, medium or firm.
Safety experts recommend a firm mattress for newborns.
The reasoning is that a firm mattress coupled with a fitted sheet makes it
easy to keep the crib sheet taut. This is important because a taut crib sheet
significantly reduces the possibility of the baby breathing into the gathered
material formed by loose bedding.
Keep in mind that a baby cannot raise his head for three or four months and
should lie on a firm surface on a fitted sheet so that there is no danger that
the baby will rebreathe its own air because it is lying against loose bedding.
Don't put the comforter in the bed with a newborn and do not use a pillow.
2. Cover
The mattress cover (called "Ticking" in the industry)
predetermines the life expectancy of the mattress.
While the consumer can save $30 or $40 by buying a mattress covered by a
single layer of vinyl, all of the top rated mattresses have covers comprised of
two or three layers, one of which is nylon. Generally these have a heavy g By contrast, the a single layer of vinyl does not have the tensile strength of nylon and will tear more easily. Unfortunately this attribute seems to worsen with time. The failure mode of mattresses is the tearing of the cover, generally along a side seam. (This comes about because every child eventually turns the crib into a trampoline) A child who jumps on the mattress puts a lot of pressure on the seam and an inferior cover will split. Look for a mattress with a nylon reinforced cover. 3. Construction Mattresses can either by innerspring (Coil) or Foam. The top rated mattress is the Classica I foam mattress by Colgate. This foam mattress weighs only seven pounds, has a tough triple layer nylon reinforced cover, and is very firm. There is a ten year manufacturer's warranty. The clear advantage of the light foam mattress is the ease with which the crib sheet can be changed. Keep in mind that the mattress ends must be lifted to pull off a dirty sheet and lifted again to put on a clean one. Clearly, lifting a seven pound foam mattress is easier than lifting a thirty-two pound innerspring mattress. Colgate also makes the Classica III mattress which has a firm side and a medium firm side. The firm side is used initially when it's critical for a newborn to sleep on an extra firm mattress, and then as the child grows the mattress can be turned over for a more comfortable sleep. For those who are predisposed to a coil mattress, we recommend the Simmons Maxipedic, the Colgate Crown Imperial III or the RT mattress. All are firm, have nylon reinforced covers, heavy gauge coil springs and a ten year or more warranty. If you are considering an innerspring mattress, check to see that it has a good edge rod. The rod is a heavy gauge wire which exists at the top and bottom of the mattress at the point where the side panels are stitched to the top or bottom panels. The rod extends the life of the mattress by keeping the jumping child's feet from compressing a single spring far enough to stress the fabric and create a tear in the fabric seam. Consistency During the two or more years a child sleeps in the crib, they will change from a newborn, unable to turn from side to side to a toddler capable of standing, walking, and jumping. After they are able to move around in the crib on their own,
babies will change positions frequently during sleep, even turning from end to
end, sometimes sleeping at the very edge of the mattress and sometimes in the
middle. Thus all areas of the sleeping surface should be consistent in its
firmness. Feel the mattress to see that there are no soft spots and that is
firm at the edges. To prevent infant deaths due to soft bedding, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development are revising their recommendations on safe bedding practices when putting infants down to sleep. Here are the revised recommendations to follow for infants under 12 months:
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