A SIDs Safe Crib

As a crib death prevention advocate and believer in the toxic gas theory for crib death, I try to get into the heads of new moms and find out what they know, or think they know, about crib death. This is very important, because if I don’t explain what I need to explain, the whole point might get missed and the message lost. Let me explain!

First of all, what most new moms (or veteran moms for that matter) don’t know is that there is a crib death prevention measure that has been 100% successful in many countries for over 12 years. This prevention measure is based on the toxic gas theory for crib death, which states that toxic nerve gases are released from crib (and adult) mattresses the more they are used. Basically, a polyethylene cover is put over the baby’s crib, co-sleeper, or bassinet mattress, preventing the gases from getting into the baby’s breathing space. While many U.S. “SIDS experts” promoted the widely successful Back to Sleep advice from countries like the U.K, they don’t know or won’t say why babies sleeping on their backs die less frequently than tummy sleepers. Ironically, back sleeping was promoted in the U.K. because of the toxic gas theory and somewhere between there and the US, the message was lost.

You might be wondering, then, about all the other SIDS prevention advice. For this article, I will only be focusing on the crib/sleep environment and misconceptions about the baby’s sleeping space.

1. The baby’s mattress should be firm. But crib mattress manufacturers have gone overboard on this one and parents are complaining of mattresses so hard that their babies can’t sleep on them. Whether you have an innerspring or foam mattress, the most important thing is not the firmness, but that you cover it with a BabeSafe mattress cover. This is not negotiable. The baby should sleep on a wrapped mattress at least until 12 months.

2. What about baby’s blanket? Most moms have read at least once that there should not be a blanket in the baby’s sleeping space. This is not true. You should, however, use only 100% cotton or woolen blankets. Use nothing made from or filled with polyester, acrylic, or other synthetic fabric. These items, when soiled, will release the same toxic gases as the mattress.

3. How about the mattress pad? On top of your BabeSafe mattress cover, you should use a 100% cotton towel, prefold diapers sewn together, or flannel blankets. Do not use anything waterproof. On top of this cotton layer, you will place a fitted sheet that will hold the cotton towel, etc. in place. The cotton layer, also called an “underblanket” is only there to provide comfort for the baby.

4. So bumper pads are not okay? On the contrary, bumper pads are perfectly safe. They are more dangerous when you don’t use a BabeSafe cover because they help keep gases in the baby’s breathing space. As long as your mattress is covered, you may use bumper pads.

5. Pillows are not okay. Pillows not only release the same toxic nerve gases, but they are also a suffocation hazard. If baby is sick and you need to elevate the crib, do so from underneath by placing a phone book under one side of the mattress, or put the mattress up higher on one side.

Once you have taken these steps, your baby’s mattress will be the safest possible sleeping area. You do not need to purchase a $300 organic or rubber mattress in order to have a safe mattress. And you can trust this information that has been followed by hundreds of thousands of moms for over 12 years with absolutely NO crib deaths.

By: Evie Maddox

Labels: Crib Death, Cribs, SIDs

posted at 2:38 PM