Babies take a lot of their parents' time right after birth. Mom and Dad surround the child with care and love, carefully follow the instructions from the pediatricians. In the first weeks of life, the newborn spends time mainly in the crib, so you should select high-quality mattresses for the newborn. We study the market to help young parents find bedding and accessories for babies from 0 months.
Which mattress to choose for a newborn?
The assortment of children's mattresses from leading Russian and foreign manufacturers guarantees a free choice and favorable conditions for sleeping. When choosing, you have to take into account the main criteria – orthopedic support, hypoallergenicity, environmental friendliness. Choose breathable mattresses with safe fillings for newborns.
Primary requirements:
-
solid base and orthopedic support;
-
lack of harmful fumes;
-
wear resistance of the material.
Manufacturers use coconut coir, batting, cotton or modern holofiber to create children's mattresses.
Natural materials inspire confidence in moms, but are rare. These types of models are often expensive. To reduce the cost, manufacturers add artificial impregnation and materials. Pay attention to the absence of harmful substances and toxic impurities so as not to harm the health of the baby.
It must be remembered that wool and natural latex are not used to create mattresses for newborn babies, because these materials cause allergic reactions. Pediatricians do not recommend using such bedding in cribs.
Felt, wood shavings, wool are traditional materials for making mattresses. But they die, deteriorate over time and roll off. Destruction leads to a deterioration in performance, so these mattresses are not suitable for small children. After 1-2 weeks of use, mattresses become covered with bumps, which make it uncomfortable for a small child to rest.
Mattress dimensions
The product recommended by the doctors corresponds to the size of the crib. Small mattresses are constantly shifting, rolling and deteriorating, so parents have unnecessary trouble. A large mattress also does not cope with its tasks, because the orthopedic qualities are reduced. The child should rest calmly and not feel stiffness in movements.
The standard dimensions of a children's mattress are 120×60 cm. For these dimensions, it is better to select the rest of the accessories and the crib itself.
Rigidity
The most important parameter of choice was the rigidity of the children's mattress. In a newborn, the spine and many bones are not fully formed. The spinal column is completely straight, and the natural S-bend appears later. To exclude deviations from the norm in the development of bones and vertebrae, an orthopedic mattress is required. Therapists categorically forbid putting babies on soft and crumpled surfaces.
Why not choose mattresses with artificial fillings?
The immunity of babies in the first days and weeks after birth is weakened. Artificial fillers often contain harmful impurities. For an adult, the danger is minimal, but for a newborn baby, there is a threat. Unpleasant artificial odors become another problem.
-
Synthetic materials raise questions from young parents. Manufacturers use a wide range of artificial fillers with unique characteristics. Not everyone is equally safe for babies.
-
Artificial fillers are dense and poorly breathable. Babies need comfort and cleanliness, so choose pillows with good breathability. Hygroscopicity deserves special attention – the ability to absorb moisture. Baby's skin is sensitive to moisture, which can cause breakouts, redness, and pruritus in babies.
-
It is not recommended to use thinsulate – artificial swan down. The material does not cause allergic reactions, but the highly siliconized polyester fiber is not elastic enough. Pillows with such a filler do not hold their shape well, and babies should only sleep on an orthopedic base.
-
Latex is classified as a material that repels a specific odor. Faux latex pillows provide orthopedic support for the back, but odor is often the source of concern for parents. But on sale there are combined double mattresses with latex filler for winter and coconut coir for summer.
Which mattress to choose?
Young parents often favor natural ingredients, but they are not always the best choice. It is worth immediately abandoning wool, fluff and even natural latex, because in 30% of cases, materials cause irritation or even allergies. Eco-friendly materials are prone to degradation, deterioration and natural decay. For babies from 0 to 3 months, moisture resistant and durable fillers are needed.
A child under 1 year old spends up to 10-15 hours in a crib, so the mattress must withstand the load. Coconut coir provides orthopedic support for the spine. But this material quickly cakes, so after 3-4 weeks bumps and lumps appear on the mattress. Coconut filler with special polymer additives to increase durability is suitable for babies from 0 to 12 months.
Choose low mattresses 7-9 cm. Pay attention to the shape that supports the baby's back throughout the night. It creates reliable support that prevents the baby from rolling over and bending the vertebrae.
!
In the following articles, our experts tell you how to choose the right blanket for a newborn baby, the secrets of choosing a pillow for a baby and the rules for choosing the shape of a mattress for a newborn.
Attention! This material is the subjective opinion of the authors of the project and is not a purchase guide.
