Reports say that at least 15 % of the over 6000 deaths due to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) are caused by infants sleeping on soft baby bedding sets. Thus, you must ask yourself if your baby bedding is safe.

For infants soft baby nursery bedding may cause suffocation when head sinks into soft mattress during baby placed in her belly. You may think a soft mattress is more comfortable for your little one, but if it is too soft, it may not be safe. To avoid fatal accidents when the baby is sleeping, there should be someone always nearby to keep an eye on the position of the baby’s head. When the baby’s head is placed on the soft mattress, they may not have enough strength to come back in a good position.

Parents should make it a priority to test a baby’s bedding by applying some weight to it. If it depresses under medium pressure, pass on it as it could lead to an accident. By applying force to a certain mattress one can actually feel it resisting the weight and it’s actually one way of discovering the mattress strength. The higher the resistance rating of your mattress is, the higher the quality.

Bumper pads in the crib are another cause of suffocation. While attractive and cute, infants’ faces may be pressed against the soft pads, causing suffocations when baby is unable to free himself.

Parents need to use extra care and take precautions during this period since the infants are weak and vulnerable. When babies are pressed between the bumper pads and another object and some of the people recommend to buy firmer bumper pads while others just remove all of them from the crib and the latter being the best method because, though rare, there are also cases of strangulation by the strings of the bumper pads and suffocation.

Research has shown that toxic gases, harmful to baby, are found in mattresses. Dangerous chemicals have been found to be added to mattresses as fire retardants, but they are dangerous chemical compounds containing phosphorus and arsenic. The chemical compounds present in the mattress when reacts with certain material, then they release toxic gases which is very dangerous for the baby, if the baby inhales a large amount of it while sleeping.

Scientists have since found, however, that a frequently occurring fungus in baby bedding may be one of the reactants which is an aid in releasing these toxic fumes. Because of that, they suggest that mom and dads not use any older style bedding in the baby’s room that could have mold and/or mildew on it from being used prior. To insure that no fungus is present, parents should be sure to buy new bedding for each new infant. Old reused bedding will look less pretty than a new baby nursery bedding.

In addition, there is some concern about synthetic fabric in baby bedding sets. While there is no solid proof that synthetic fabrics are harmful to a baby, you may want to stick to natural fibers. There are plenty of stylish cotton baby bedding sets available (one of my favorites is the Maya baby bedding by Trend Lab), so there is no need to sacrifice style for safety.

Use this criteria to determine if your baby bedding is safe. To avoid sleepless nights, parents should just choose safe beddings for their babies, it will not only relieve them of their worries but will also let the baby enjoy his/her slumber.

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