Four Biggest Concerns When Choosing a Crib Mattress

When choosing the right mattress for your infant, safety is the most important thing. You want some peace-of-mind as your little one quietly sleeps. When purchasing a crib mattress there are four concerns that should be met to ensure the greatest level of satisfaction for sleeping babies.

Firmness and Resiliency

Firmness is the idea that the mattress is firm enough to support your child, while resiliency indicates that a mattress will continue to resume its shape during use. This is a complex issue, and one that has caused some confusion.

The reason infants require a firm mattress is because a mattress with soft spots can cause an infant without muscle control to roll awkwardly face down into the soft spot, possibly causing the baby's face to become enveloped in the mattress creating a suffocation hazard. Although this is unlikely, it is possible. However, the more common concern, is your child may struggle to find a comfortable position to sleep in if he or she feels forced into an awkward position. Both issues can easily be resolved by being sure a mattress is firm, and will stay firm throughout its usage.

Another issue in the argument for what makes the best mattress, is the battle between innerspring and foam mattresses. Most consider the innerspring mattresses to be of higher quality, while foam mattresses are cheaper. The truth is, both mattresses can be of equal quality, as long as they are in good condition. There is only one true way to test the firmness and resiliency of a mattress, and that is the palm test.

The palm test is done by firmly pressing your palm into a prospective mattress and being sure that it doesn't conform to your fingers. It should depress equally on all sides without creating a hand shape. You should do this test all over the mattress, especially at the edges where the firmness can come into question. The second part of the test, is to quickly withdraw your hand from the mattress to see how quickly it resumes its shape. If there is even the slightest delay, it can be cause for concern, because your baby can easily roll due to this. If the mattress passes the palm test, it is both firm and resilient.

Go All-Natural Or Not

There is a movement of parents who believe it best to use only all natural products for a crib mattress. They believe the chemicals and industry compounds used in common commercial brands can be harmful to a baby as he or she sleeps. This is a myth, and although many mattresses claim to be all natural, this means it's made of more expensive materials, but still treated with chemicals. For a mattress to pass government standards, it must be treated with Boric acid or some other flame retardant chemical to be allowed on the market, so there is no such things as an all-natural crib mattress in the market today.

Avoid Air Mattresses

Never use an air mattress, or any other mattress not designed specifically for a crib, as it could be too soft and become a hazard for your infant to sleep on. A crib mattress should fit well within the crib, allowing only a small gap for sliding adult fingers between the mattress and crib bars, similar to children's bed.

Second-Hand Mattresses

There have been reports that second-hand crib mattresses pose the risk of SIDs. It's believed that in some cases, bodily fluids from the original baby could permeate the mattress and surface once the second baby resumes sleeping on it. There is no factual evidence to back this up however, and it is likely that the harm in using a second-hand mattress actually comes from it not be covered and stored properly, leading to the development of fungus and mold in the mattress.

It's common for parents, who's children have out-grown their cribs, to store unused items in dusty attics or wet basements, and in some cases without any kind of covering. Before accepting a second-hand crib mattress, always be sure to inquire as to how exactly the mattress was being kept between the time the previous owner's child used it, and you'll be receiving it. Be specific. Where was it kept? What condition was the location? Was it covered in plastic? Also, don't be afraid to smell the mattress, and give it a thorough inspection. Remember who'll be using it. If you have any doubts, always choose a new mattress.

The right mattress for your baby may not be easy to find, but with knowledge, the steps can be easier. Use common sense, and consider who'll be sleeping on it.