Safe Baby Cot - Baby Preparation

Cots

Beautiful designs, patterns, colours, bedding and trims are important, of course, but what really counts is your baby’s safety.

Independent consumer group CHOICE is an expert in baby products and has provided Huggies with some important information about what to look for in a cot, and how to ensure it is set up safely for your sleeping beauty.

Tips:

Look for a cot which has been certified by an independent authority (for example Lloyds, SGS , QAS) as meeting the Australian/New Zealand Standard (AS/NZS 2172:2003).
Cots should be well-finished and made from quality materials.
If made of metal, they shouldn’t be bent or rusty, and their joints should be close-fitting and securely and cleanly welded.
Timber cots shouldn’t have dowels, nails and screws that are exposed above the surface.
The timber shouldn’t have large knots, insect damage, cracks or splinters.
There should be no sharp edges or points that could cause a cut or head injury.
There should be no gaps where children can trap their limbs or head.
No knobs or protrusions that could catch a child’s clothing.
No decorative transfers that can come off easily.
No crossbars or trim that could be used as a foothold.
No bumpers or anything else inside the cot that has strings or ties.
No choking hazards such as small toys, small items, medication, string or elastic in the cot.
Make sure that the mattress you buy corresponds to the cot manufacturer’s size recommendations – it should fit snugly with no gaps.
Check that locking devices are easy to use for an adult but very difficult for a child.
Check that the locking mechanism has a clear difference between locked and unlocked.
Make sure there are no pillows, comforters or other soft products under infants while they sleep.
Make sure the cot is placed at a reasonable distance from curtains, blinds, heaters and power points.
Move children to a single bed once they start climbing out of their cot.

Since the introduction of a mandatory safety standard for cots in 1998, tests conducted by CHOICE have shown a real trend towards improvements in safety. In their latest test, five cots were safe and CHOICE found three to recommend above the rest. However, the results also showed that four brands failed to meet some minimum safety requirements. While the risk of injury from these cots may be small, any failure of safety requirements is unacceptable.

CHOICE purchased nine popular brands of cots and put them through vigorous testing in their state-of-the-art laboratories.