2nd time mums - are you getting a new matress?

[PeanutBean]

So what is the explanation for the rising rate of cot death from one sibling to the next? Cot death is caused by gases generated in mattresses - and many parents re-use mattresses from one baby to the next. If a mattress contains any of the chemicals concerned and fungi have become established in the mattress during previous use by another baby, generation of toxic gas commences sooner and in greater volume when the mattress is re-used. This accounts for the rising rate of cot death from one sibling to the next. It also accounts for the very high cot death rate among babies of solo parents, who for economic reasons are more likely to sleep their babies on previously used mattresses which they have acquired secondhand.

I disagree with this paragraph. The re-use of mattresses may be one of the many factors that have been correlated with cot death but given that there is no known cause for cot death (or we wouldn't all be worrying about many things and would just fix the one thing responsible) the statement highlighted in bold cannot possibly be correct.

 

[kiwimama]

Just thought I would let you know that if you are getting a new mattress for an existing cot you have, make sure it fits really well into the cot. There should be no space larger than can fit 2 womans fingers between the cot and the mattress. Just read this the other day and thought I would mention it.

 

[Amanda]

I disagree with this paragraph. The re-use of mattresses may be one of the many factors that have been correlated with cot death but given that there is no known cause for cot death (or we wouldn't all be worrying about many things and would just fix the one thing responsible) the statement highlighted in bold cannot possibly be correct.

Have you read the whole article PeanutBean? It goes into detail about gases and fungus and makes a lot of sense. It also mentions the obvious stuff like smoking, laying baby correctly, etc. But by 'wrapping' the mattress to prevent the build-up and release of these gases and fungus, the doctor that wrote the article had a 100% success rate - ie. no cot-deaths at all in any of the test subjects. Seems pretty conclusive to me.....

 

[PeanutBean]

I disagree with this paragraph. The re-use of mattresses may be one of the many factors that have been correlated with cot death but given that there is no known cause for cot death (or we wouldn't all be worrying about many things and would just fix the one thing responsible) the statement highlighted in bold cannot possibly be correct.

Have you read the whole article PeanutBean? It goes into detail about gases and fungus and makes a lot of sense. It also mentions the obvious stuff like smoking, laying baby correctly, etc. But by 'wrapping' the mattress to prevent the build-up and release of these gases and fungus, the doctor that wrote the article had a 100% success rate - ie. no cot-deaths at all in any of the test subjects. Seems pretty conclusive to me.....

Yep I went through it. The other advice just shows that the gases from cot mattresses as a definitive cause of cot death is incorrect. I follow the scientific literature not web reports and I've yet to see an article that says X is the cause of cot death.

 

[Amanda]

I think we'll have to agree to differ on this one PB.

The outcome of me reading this article though is that I will be buying a new mattress and not re-using Charlie's, which is what I was going to do.

 

[PeanutBean]

I think we'll have to agree to differ on this one PB.

The outcome of me reading this article though is that I will be buying a new mattress and not re-using Charlie's, which is what I was going to do.

I'm not suggesting there is not any basis to what is being said, nor that there isn't any reason to get a new mattress, just that the cause of cot death is not conclusive. We Mum's will just what we can to minimise the risk based on what is known and what we can afford to do.

 

[Amanda]

I disagree with this paragraph. The re-use of mattresses may be one of the many factors that have been correlated with cot death but given that there is no known cause for cot death (or we wouldn't all be worrying about many things and would just fix the one thing responsible) the statement highlighted in bold cannot possibly be correct.

That to me sounds like you are suggesting that there is not any basis to what is being said.

Like I said before, I think we need to agree to differ.

 

[PeanutBean]

I disagree with this paragraph. The re-use of mattresses may be one of the many factors that have been correlated with cot death but given that there is no known cause for cot death (or we wouldn't all be worrying about many things and would just fix the one thing responsible) the statement highlighted in bold cannot possibly be correct.

That to me sounds like you are suggesting that there is not any basis to what is being said.

Like I said before, I think we need to agree to differ.

I don't want to agree to differ, not to be argumentative though , but because I don't think we stand on opposing sides. The article stated that cot death is caused by mattresses releasing gases. I said I disagree with this because the cause of cot death is not known. What is known is that there are correlations with many factors (including reusing mattresses, smoking, etc) that suggest a link together with evidence that avoiding these things might reduce the risk. But a reduction in risk is not the same thing as a cause. Contributory factors are not definitive explanations for a disease as this article has suggested. It's about understanding the way the science works really.

 

[Mamafy]

I've had 5 children and each child has had their own mattress. I heard something 'vaguely' in the past about the link to cot death and that was enough for me, why risk it eh?