Good Mattresses for Children
Parents know the long hours that children sleep, body pressed up against the mattress, breathing in its contents. It's no wonder that health specialists recommend not skimping on the purchase of a mattress for children. Ensure that it is adapted to the bed and to the child's age, size and weight. Although you will need to change mattresses as your child moves from crib to bed, a quality mattress can always be protected against stains or accidents with a good mattress cover.
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Firm Support
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Health care specialists and pediatricians advise that firm support is important for infants, because they can easily suffocate if they turn face down on a very soft mattress. As children grow, a mattress should always be soft enough for comfort but firm enough to protect a child's developing spine and give support to growing bones and muscles. A cheaper mattress may sometimes appear a good solution for a few years, but as a child's weight increases, such mattresses don't provide correct support.
Snug Fit
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Infants require a tight-fitting mattress so little fingers or even entire body parts don't get jammed down the sides. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends a firm mattress that "fits tightly to all crib sides." Even for older children, an ill-fitting mattress that moves increases the risk of falling out of bed, particularly dangerous when using bunk beds.
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Non-Toxic
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Health professionals often recommend organic, natural or hypoallergenic materials for a mattress for kids. This is particularly true for children with allergies or asthma. Mattresses may also be treated with chemicals to make them flame-retardant or water and stain resistant, so check the manufacturer's website for details on the chemicals used.
Safe
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Since 2007, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Council has urged parents not to use air mattresses for infants, since these can increase the risk of suffocation should the child turn face-down. Secondhand mattresses are also discouraged, since they are often greater sources of dust mites, have lost some firmness and may not meet current safety regulations. The American Academy of Pediatrics doesn't recommend memory foam mattresses for small children.
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References
- Photo Credit Jupiterimages/Pixland/Getty Images
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Comments
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AUS/NZ guidelines for baby Safe Sleeping also recommend no pillow, no cot bumpers and baby placed on back to sleep so the image in this article shows all the no nos.
