Up or Down?

[Miaow]

I know a bit has been said in previous threads in regards to this but Im interested on seeing what most people do in this respect.

Do you, with a matress that has a plastic side, have it plastic side up or down? I got a cot yesterday and was told by my BFs mum via him it must be plastic side up - For safety reasons (in my opinion on what ive seen posted) its down at present. A friend also mentioned that plastic side up would be colder for the baby (though i have a lambswood cover thing over this)

So what have you done in the same situation and why did you do it?

[the_queen]

i thought the plastic side was for waterproofing reasons :confused: i don't understand why you'd put it plastic side down? Not you personally Cathyn :D I mean, i'm genuinely interested, what are the safety reasons for putting it plastic side down?

[FourAngelKisses]

They say to put it plastic side down because the baby could somehow (???????????) suffocate, but after having a drenched mattress a few times after the kids have wet through, I decided to put it plastic side up, but to put a cot doona under the sheet to help keep them a bit warmer.

HTH

[Miaow]

From what ive heard the plastic isnt so breathable if the baby ended up face down on it.

Found this article also http://adc.bmjjournals.com/cgi/content/abstract/71/6/497 -


Potentially dangerous sleeping environments and accidental asphyxia in infancy and early childhood
RW Byard, S Beal and AJ Bourne
Department of Histopathology, Adelaide Children's Hospital, Australia.

Infants and young children may be exposed to a variety of dangerous situations when left sleeping in cots, chairs, or beds. A review of 30 cases of accidental asphyxia occurring in infants and young children who had been left to sleep unattended was undertaken from the necropsy and consultation files of the Adelaide Children's Hospital. Causes of death included hanging from loose restrainers, clothing, or a curtain cord (12 cases), positional asphyxia/wedging from slipping between a mattress and bed/cot sides or wall, or from moving into a position where the face was covered and the upper airway occluded (16 cases), and suffocation from plastic bed covers (two cases). Cases of co- sleeping in bed with an adult and of non-accidental asphyxia were not included in this review. As the pathological findings were on occasion identical to those that are typically found in sudden infant death syndrome, adequate death scene examination was vital in several cases to allow identification of lethal sleeping environments and to enable steps to be taken to minimise the risk of future deaths due to similar situations. For example, two cases in which infants asphyxiated in rocking cradles led to the investigation of the cradles and to formulation of specific safety recommendations regarding the angle of tilt. Two infants who died after becoming wedged between the back of a couch and a co-sleeping parent in one case and cushions in the other, would indicate that this also represents a potentially lethal sleeping position. Other dangerous situations involved infant car seat restraints, seats with loose harnesses, cots with movable sides or projecting pieces, thin plastic mattress/pillow coverings, and beds with spaces between the mattress and cot side or wall. Lack of supervision at the time of death was a feature of each case.

[the_queen]

Hmmm... ok fair enough! The way I read that though, it sounds more like a plastic fitted sheet that goes over the mattress? And it maybe slipped off one corner and got stuck over bubba's face. Maybe? That's just how I read that article. I think the last sentence says it all :

Lack of supervision at the time of death was a feature of each case.


And I'm with Jeanette, I hate soaked mattresses! I quite often wish Vallerie's mattress had a plastic side!!!

[veve]

I dont see how a baby COULD suffocate if the mattress is FIRM - which is one of the recommendations... :confused:

we have a foam mattress... and use it plastic side up (I too didn't see the point in buying one with a plastic side if I didn't use it??? ) - ours isn't PLASTIC as such,... it is cotton fabric with a waterproof spray on it???

I wasn't worried about Jack smothering himself on the mattress..??? (especially as most kids sleep on their backs due to SIDS warnings???) - the blankets were more of a concern to me... :rolleyes:

xx

[FourAngelKisses]

RE the lack of supervision statement. Surely they don't expect parents to sit next to their babies keeping watch in case something bad happens?

[the_queen]

I read the "lack of supervision" to mean, the parents didn't take all appropriate measures to keep bubba safe while parents weren't in the room. Sheesh I'm coherent aren't I :laughing: Like, it said there was 12 cases where cause of death was
hanging from loose restrainers, clothing, or a curtain cord I know it's horrible and evil to blame the parents in cases like this - but there shouldn't be any kind of loose restrainers, any kind of clothing that has the potential to strangle, any curtain cords dangling near bubba. Am I making sense :laughing: probably not. I think what I'm trying to say is that I don't think "supervision" necessarily means sitting next to the baby constantly; I think it means taking all appropriate measures to make sure baby will be safe even if you're not there with him.

:)

[FourAngelKisses]

Oh okay, ta. I didn't read the entire report, I'm trying to get the kids ready for school and post on here at the same time, lol.

[Oscar's mum]

Plastic side up in our house. I can't see how they could suffocate with it unless as the_queen said to me that sounds more like a plastic fitted sheet not the plastic that is sewn into the mattress etc.

And yeah no point buying one of those mattresses if you put it face down!;)

[the_queen]

Oh okay, ta. I didn't read the entire report, I'm trying to get the kids ready for school and post on here at the same time, lol.


LOL multi-tasking - the sign of a true supermum!!!:D

[amymay]

mine is plastic side up, it was made to be like that as it is a water proof protection.