What is a Safe Cot?

Babies need lots of sleep, especially during the first two years of their life. Other than design and look, it’s worthwhile spending time choosing the right cot that makes a baby’s sleeping environment safer. Here are some pointers for you to refer to when looking for a baby cot in Malaysia.

First and foremost, check if it is certified as conforming to strict safety standards such as European Safety Standards or British Safety Standard(BS EN 716-1:2008+A1:2013). These safety standards help to reduce the number of accidental infant deaths due to entrapment, strangulation or suffocation.

You’ll also need to follow these safety guidelines:

• Strong cot base with stable and durable construction.
• Non-toxic materials and surface treatment with zero volatile organic compounds (VOCs).
• The distance between the top of the mattress and the top edge of the cot sides should be at least 50cm, to prevent your baby from climbing out when they become more mobile.
• Cot bars should be vertical; otherwise your baby could use them as a ladder to climb out if they are horizontal.
• The cot bars should be no more than 6.5cm apart, so your baby can’t get stuck between the bars of the cot.
• No protrusions on the top rail where your little one could catch their clothes.
• No footholds, ledges or cut-outs that your baby can use to climb out of the cot.
• A cot with bars on all four sides is better, as it allows better air circulation while your baby sleeps.
• The hardware such as bolts and screws should be firmly secured, with no sharp edges or rough areas and no spots that can pinch or otherwise injure your precious little one.
• The cot's wood should be free of cracks or splits.

Don’t forget the mattress! Make sure the mattress fits snugly against the inside of the cot with no more than a 20mm gap between the mattress and the cot sides. It’s best to always use the same size on cot and mattress to avoid gaps that the baby's head could become trapped in. Other than that, the mattress should be firm, since soft mattresses increase the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). Also, it should be made of safe, durable materials that are free from harmful chemicals

Most baby cots have side rails that are up to 90cm high in the highest position, which make them difficult for parents to reach over to lay a sleeping baby down. Thus, a baby cot with a drop side mechanism comes in handy in this situation. Drop side mechanism enables one side of the cot to slide down, reducing this height barrier and making it easier to reach your baby. Bending over is the common cause of back pain and back injury. Hence, a drop side baby cot is the perfect solution to prevent you from bending your back further as well as stopping any awkward stretching or posture to reach or lift your growing child.

The patented Relax System from Micuna provides the baby with a safer position with an inclinable mattress base. The inclination improves breathing, reduces the pressure exerted by the head on the mattress, reduces the possibility of positional plagiocephaly, helping digestion and reducing regurgitation. This system also avoids dangerous situations such as mask effect, semi incorporated position and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).

And finally, the safest cot is a clear cot. Avoid soft toys and soft bedding such as pillows and comforters in the cot as they can pose a suffocation hazard and increase the risk of accidents, especially for babies below 18 months.

At Jarrons & Co, we provide a range of cots mostly in white colour so it fits with your home. No matter which interior style or design you have at home, white coloured baby cots will surely be a perfect furniture match for the space. The color scheme of soft neutral hues fits perfectly into the room of the newborn and creates a peaceful and relaxed atmosphere for your child to grow.

Product: Micuna Sweet Globito with Relax System

Product: Micuna Alexa Baby Cot with 2 sizes options available - 140x70cm and 120x60cm 

Product: Micuna Alexa Baby Cot with 2 sizes options available - 140x70cm and 120x60cm

 Product: Micuna Aura Cot with Relax System

Product: Micuna Dolce Luce with Relax System

All in all, no matter which of our cots you choose, you can be sure that all of them are rigorously tested to ensure they meet the strictest safety standards and are carefully inspected before being sold. Shop our cots and cribs collections, notably Micuna and Happy Cots collections here.

References:

1. https://www.nct.org.uk/baby-toddler/sleep/cot-safety-features-sleeping-safely-cot
2. https://www.whattoexpect.com/pregnancy/ask-heidi/crib-safety.aspx
3. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/sudden-infant-death-syndrome/symptoms-causes/syc-20352800#:~:text=Sudden%20infant%20death%20syndrome%20(SIDS)%20is%20the%20unexplained%20death%2C,often%20die%20in%20their%20cribs