https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Thu, 09 Apr 2026 08:03:56 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/crib-mattress-wrapping-to-prevent-sids#post-201934 Tue, 26 Jun 2012 11:02:33 +0000 ktgee04 201934@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I have been reading up a lot on this and found that for the amount of money spent, it's probably worth it if it decreases the risk of SIDS or my LO from inhaling toxic fumes, even a little. May be the worrier in me but some of the science behind it sounded plausible so I researched the different crib mattress wraps. BabeSafe is on option but I couldn't get the Paypal option to work and it seemed just a little 'off' to me so I turned to Amazon. There I found a compareable brand that serves the same purpose. Granted, it sounds like a glorified piece of thicker plastic you put over the mattress but it's supposed to be thick enough to stop fumes from escaping standard flame-retardant crib mattresses. Again, it may be a load of BS but this first-time mama was concerned so I figured I'd go for it - I've spent $35 in a lot more foolish ways I suppose!! :-) In case anyone was interested I included the Amazon link below for the mattress cover I bought.</p> <p><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Best-Ever-Crib-Mattress-Size/dp/B002MBVH98/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&#038;qid=1340726136&#038;sr=8-1&#038;keywords=crib+mattress+wrap" rel="nofollow">http://www.amazon.com/Best-Ever-Crib-Mattress-Size/dp/B002MBVH98/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&#038;qid=1340726136&#038;sr=8-1&#038;keywords=crib+mattress+wrap</a> </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/crib-mattress-wrapping-to-prevent-sids#post-199074 Fri, 22 Jun 2012 10:14:15 +0000 mrs. bird 199074@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@stiffaknee: I think it's a very hard balance- weighing the risk of the possible negative effects from the mattress vs the definite risk of the child being killed in a fire. The house across the street caught fire &amp; nearly took the one next to it down too, so even when you do everything right to protect your LO from dangers, not everyone else does the same and can really put others in danger :( I guess I feel like it's so inexpensive and simple and doesn't pose any risk by doing it, so why not do it? I also kept the LO I nannied for rear facing in the car for an extended period long before the AAP changed their recommendations, because I knew it wouldn't be LESS safe, it was shown to work in other countries, and we tend to take a lot of research to change our minds before we change our practices in the US. Which can be good, but it can also slow down positive change. I hope they do more research into this, seems both sides have holes in their arguments, but I think they could be on to something! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/crib-mattress-wrapping-to-prevent-sids#post-199036 Fri, 22 Jun 2012 09:49:35 +0000 stiffaknee 199036@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>So, by law, all mattresses sold in the US have to be flame retardant and the claims are that the chemicals used to make a mattress flame retardant cause SIDS (I think its antimony?)...so even if you buy an organic mattress, youre still exposed to the chemical. The only way to get a mattress that does not have flame retardant chemicals is to get your doctor to basically write a prescription for one (or at least, when I was researching mattress wrapping, thats how I interpreted things).</p> <p>Antimony had been found in babies who had passed from SIDS, but its also been found in fetuses (who haven't yet been exposed to the mattresses) and is naturally occuring..so I guess its one of those "what came first, the chicken or the egg" situations.</p> <p>I was slightly neurotic about researching mattresses and then when someone sent me the website about mattress wrapping, I nearly had a nervous breakdown. So I researched as much as I could, asked as many people who might have an opinion (my pediatrician, my brother in law, who is a neurologist, my sister in law, who is a L&amp;D nurse) and they all said-if it makes you feel better to wrap your mattress, do it, but there is no proof that doing so will prevent SIDS. They said the same thing about the angelcare monitor (apparently, a baby who truly has SIDS cannot be revived)</p> <p>I have mixed feelings about this "study". On one hand, all of the things that are recommended to help prevent SIDS (good air circulation, baby sleeping on their back) make sense if you believe antimony causes SIDS (since its very heavy and stays low to the mattress)...But I cannot believe that, if something as simple as a flame retardant chemical causes SIDS, it would still have not been addressed by the Consumer Products Safety Commission (I mean, its not like there is a flame retardant chemical lobby..I doubt mattress manufacturers would have any problem omitting antimony from the manufacturing process!) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/crib-mattress-wrapping-to-prevent-sids#post-198895 Fri, 22 Jun 2012 08:10:10 +0000 looch 198895@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@sloaneandpuffy: That's a long article but a good one. </p> <p>What's even more interesting to me is that in that article is the section on not using the car seat as a sleeping location. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/crib-mattress-wrapping-to-prevent-sids#post-198885 Fri, 22 Jun 2012 08:04:12 +0000 mamimami 198885@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Oh wait here it is;<br /> <a href="http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/128/5/e1341.full" rel="nofollow">http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/128/5/e1341.full</a></p> <p>under the heading<br /> There Is no Evidence Linking Various Toxicants to SIDS </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/crib-mattress-wrapping-to-prevent-sids#post-198880 Fri, 22 Jun 2012 08:01:40 +0000 mrs. bird 198880@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'm going to guess you're thinking of the limerick report. Proponents of crib wrapping feel the study was flawed enough that they disagree with the findings</p> <p><a href="http://www.babesafe.co.nz/default.htm?gclid=CLmQ4dbc4bACFUWo4AoduEdrnA" rel="nofollow">http://www.babesafe.co.nz/default.htm?gclid=CLmQ4dbc4bACFUWo4AoduEdrnA</a></p> <p>Edit to add: not sure why it won't let me link directly, but if you go to the link above and select 'errors in the limerick report' at the bottom, it gives their rebuttal </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/crib-mattress-wrapping-to-prevent-sids#post-198871 Fri, 22 Jun 2012 07:54:17 +0000 mamimami 198871@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I thought this theory was proven to be baseless. But at the moment I can't find a great link.... </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/crib-mattress-wrapping-to-prevent-sids#post-198794 Fri, 22 Jun 2012 06:29:24 +0000 mrs. bird 198794@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@zippylef: the group promoting mattress wrapping suggests that toxic levels of compounds that off gas are found in non plastic based 'natrural' surfaces too, like sheepskin. I totally agree that SIDS has been around longer than modern chemical ridden mattresses and that is a good argument as to why it can't be blamed entirely on modern chemicals, but this website has a pretty compelling case</p> <p><a href="http://www.babesafe.co.nz/default.htm?gclid=CLmQ4dbc4bACFUWo4AoduEdrnA" rel="nofollow">http://www.babesafe.co.nz/default.htm?gclid=CLmQ4dbc4bACFUWo4AoduEdrnA</a> </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/crib-mattress-wrapping-to-prevent-sids#post-198703 Fri, 22 Jun 2012 00:27:46 +0000 loveisstrange 198703@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'm sure it can't hurt... but I feel like it's a load of BS. I remember reading the Little House on the Prairie books when I was a young teen and Laura's little boy dies of what it most likely SIDS. I'm pretty sure they didn't have issues with off-gassing and chemicals back then. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/crib-mattress-wrapping-to-prevent-sids#post-198690 Thu, 21 Jun 2012 23:43:15 +0000 ladyfingers 198690@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@mrs. bird: Oh absolutely! I agree. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/crib-mattress-wrapping-to-prevent-sids#post-198638 Thu, 21 Jun 2012 22:40:33 +0000 mrstilly 198638@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I bought an organic soy foam mattress to avoid that altogether. I had read the articles and it really does make sense. There are lots of products that "off gas" and it makes sense it could be a cause of SIDS. </p> <p>I look at it the same way as a lot of safety things - crib bumpers also are linked to SIDS and rear facing until 2 years is undeniably safer, but people still use bumpers and forward face their 1 year olds. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/crib-mattress-wrapping-to-prevent-sids#post-198621 Thu, 21 Jun 2012 22:32:43 +0000 bpcmarj 198621@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I've been told/read that all mattresses offset certain gasses and chemicals. My Mom was really hoping I would get an all natural mattress. Since I didn't, she made sure that I would at least let it air out before LO slept on it. I figured that we had the mattress way before she was going to sleep in it anyway, so it wasn't a pain to go ahead and do that. If it was that easy to prevent SIDS, then great :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/crib-mattress-wrapping-to-prevent-sids#post-198533 Thu, 21 Jun 2012 21:40:35 +0000 mrs. bird 198533@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@ladyfingers: I'm a bit skeptical as well, but I figure it can't hurt :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/crib-mattress-wrapping-to-prevent-sids#post-198185 Thu, 21 Jun 2012 19:54:02 +0000 ladyfingers 198185@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I don't know... it's logical, but I always raise an eyebrow at stuff like that that goes on and on about how "This doctor says it's true and there are some studies but everybody is ignoring it, WHY?!" It just sounds alarmist and something seems off about it. But it totally makes sense, so maybe it's just the site that's putting me off? It seems like this whole big ad for Naturepedic mattresses that they sell through their site.</p> <p>Then again, I want to buy an organic mattress and have Naturepedic on my list right now so... who am I to judge? ;-) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/crib-mattress-wrapping-to-prevent-sids#post-198154 Thu, 21 Jun 2012 19:46:27 +0000 chopsuey 198154@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Huh. Interesting..! I never heard of wrapping up mattresses to prevent SIDS.. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/crib-mattress-wrapping-to-prevent-sids#post-198096 Thu, 21 Jun 2012 19:32:48 +0000 mrs. bird 198096@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Anyone wrap their crib mattress to help prevent SIDS? </p> <p><a href="http://www.healthychild.com/toxic-sleep/has-the-cause-of-crib-death-sids-been-found/" rel="nofollow">http://www.healthychild.com/toxic-sleep/has-the-cause-of-crib-death-sids-been-found/</a></p> <p>I wonder why, if the solution is so simple, it's not done all over the world or in the US. If you're wrapping your mattress, is it then less important to buy an expensive one made with organic materials? By that I mean that in a selfish way, not in an important for the environment kind of way. seems like if it's getting all sealed up it wouldn't matter as much. </p> <p>We're still TTC, so I've got plenty of time to research more, but I'm curious what your thoughts on mattress wrapping are </p>