Are cot bumpers safe?

 

Traditional quilted cot bumpers are not recommended by health experts, including the NHS and the Royal College of General Practitioners, for the following reasons:

 

  • by restricting the flow of fresh air in and out of the cot, the bumpers may contribute to overheating and re-breathing of exhaled air.
  • Just like a pillow or thick blanket, cot bumpers can restrict a baby’s breathing if they come into contact with their nose and mouth.
  • The ties used to attach bumpers to the cot can cause accidents if they are pulled loose.
  • Older babies may use bumpers as an aid to climb out of the cot. 

Overheating, re-breathing of exhaled air and lack of oxygen are all risk factors which have been associated with SIDS (cot death).  

 

Is there any actual evidence that cot bumpers are dangerous?

 

In the UK, unfortunately no studies have been carried out on cot bumpers and there is no data on the number of fatalities which may be linked to them. 

 

However, in the US, a study was carried out in 2007 (published in the Journal of Pediatrics) which found that 27 infant deaths were directly attributable to cot bumpers in the US over a 20 year period. Of the 27 deaths, 11 infants suffocated when their face was found in close contact with the padding, 13 died after being wedged between the bumper and another object and 3 were strangled by a bumper tie.  What is worrying about the study is that the data used consists of deaths reported to the US Consumer Product Safety Commission voluntarily.  Therefore the actual number of deaths attributable to cot bumpers is likely to be significantly higher.

More recently, Chicago became the first US city to ban the sale of cot bumpers . An investigation by the Chicago Tribune revealed that the US Child Death Review has received 14 reports of a baby suffocating where a bumper was relevant in the death since 2008.  The Consumer Product Safety Commission is currently re-examining the safety of traditional cot bumpers (as reported in the New York Times).

 

Elsewhere, Health Canada report that 23 incidents involving bumpers were reported to them over a 15 year period. In France, a cot bumper was recalled in 2006 after a 9 month old baby died due to strangulation by one of the cords.

 

Why is the Cot Wrap® different from a traditional bumper?

 

The Cot Wrap® has been designed to reduce all of the risks associated with traditional cot bumpers:

 

  • It is made from soft cushioned mesh fabric which allows fresh air to circulate throughout the cot and prevents exhaled air from pooling around the baby.
  • Babies can breathe through the fabric should they press their face against it.
  • Velcro is used to attach the wrap to the cot rather than dangerous ties or cords. 
  • The light fabric gives the baby a much smaller foothold to use for climbing out of the cot. 
 

The Cot Wrap® is fully compliant with British Standard 1877 Part 10 for cot bumpers and with all applicable parts of EN-71.  

 

Find out more about the product's benefits here.