As a parent-to-be, you’re probably super excited to get your little one’s nursery ready. That means buying the cot, a changing table, curtains, and all the other nitty-gritty things that come with making the nursery perfect for the new addition to your family. You’ve also most likely done your research like any good parent would and see that drop-size cots are an option but have recently been questioned when it comes to safety.
So, to clear things up, we’ve decided to answer the question for you: are drop-size cots safe?
What are drop-side cots, and why do people like them?
Drop-side cots are still pretty popular with parents in Australia because of the convenience of being able to drop the side panels, making it easier for parents to reach their children. Having the sides down also conveniently turns the cot into a co-sleeper, allowing it to be pushed up against your bed, making it easier for a parent to get to their children when they’re sleeping.
Another reason why they’re pretty popular is because they’re comfortable to reach over for mothers who’ve had a c-section and are still recovering. The sides can be lowered slightly to still provide that boundary while being low enough for moms to lean over.
What are the safety concerns of drop-side cots?
Looking at why parents like drop-side cots so much, it seems that they’re pretty convenient at face value, right? So why did the UK, Canada and the USA ban them? What are the safety concerns surrounding drop-sized cots? Here’s what we found:
- Entrapment
One of the biggest concerns regarding drop-size cots is the risk of entrapment. As babies grow, they develop the ability to roll onto their stomachs. But when they’re in this position, they don’t have the strength to lift their bodies up, so their faces get stuck facing the bed. Drop-size beds have a gap between the side and the mattress, which poses a great risk of this happening.
- Malfunction over time
Drop-size cots have a mechanism that allows the side to move. Over time, this mechanism can wear out and break, which could cause your baby to become entrapped or even injured when the mechanism breaks.
- Assembling the cot incorrectly
Due to drop-size cots having moving parts, there is a higher chance of people not assembling them properly, which can result in a number of negative outcomes and be harmful to your little one. That’s why a fixed cot is usually a better solution.
- They’re durability
Fixed costs have a longer lifespan because they’re stationary. The same can’t be said for drop-size cots. Because they have moving parts that degrade during use, the cot’s functionality will eventually wear out, which could create potential risks for your child.
- The materials used
Drop-size cots have been around for decades, and they’re often made from timber. While getting a timber cot might be an aesthetic choice, it also poses a few issues when it comes to the moving parts. Wooden parts are bulky and also tend to wear down with use. For that reason, many other cot manufacturers have moved away from using wood as a primary material.
How to choose a safe cot for your child
We aren’t saying that drop-size cots are a big no-no. They’ve got their good points, but these days, there are specific requirements that you want a cot to meet to ensure your child’s comfort and safety. These are a few specifics to look for when comparing different drop-size cots or alternatives:
- You want to find cots that comply with the latest safety standards in Australia. Make sure they have an AS/NZS 2172:2013 code on them and you’re all good to go Ensure that the cot you choose complies with the latest Australian safety standards.
- Check if the brand you’re looking at has had any recalls due to safety concerns. This is usually a good sign that you should keep looking
- If you’ve already bought a drop-size cot, pay close attention to its state. For instance, check the quality of moving parts regularly, and when there is an issue, address it quickly
- Making sure that your child’s mattress fits perfectly in the cot is essential, no matter what cot you have. The mattress needs to be flush on the cot, leaving no gaps that your child could accidentally slip into
Final Thoughts
To sum it up, the main issue with drop-size cots is that they increase the risk of SIDS, especially holder cots. While they have benefits for new moms who’ve had c-sections, the risks of using them seem to be higher than other options. However, these risks can also be reduced by being attentive and using the requirements above when comparing different drop-size cots.