Do you use Cot Bumpers?

[rani]

Hiya,

I've read that you're not supposed to use bumpers. However, if you do use them to remove them when the baby starts rolling to avoid suffocation.

But, if you don't use bumpers how can you prevent the child from injuring his head?

Do you use bumpers?

 

[scr]

I never used cot bumpers because of the risk it poses. Never had a problem either. My little one doesn't bump himself even when asleep. And he hates it if he can't see through the gaps !

 

[rani]

Thanks Scr.

I used one of those sleep positioner things initially. But once D started rolling around, (which he does a lot in his sleep)
he kept hitting the bars with this head so I thought it best to leave the bumpers. Plus he loves to snuggle up next to them at night. :flower:

 

[scr]

I suppose since your son is almost a year old, it should be ok. the risk of suffocation is less I would think. It's strange that my son rolls in his sleep a lot if he's beside me on our bed but in the cot he seems to instinctively know that he doesn't have that much space.

 

[andrewwork]

We did, until the baby started rolling over - now we don't. Espceially once they can stand up in the crib, you don't want them getting a foot up on them to hoist themselves over the side and waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay down to the floor - the quick descent!

 

[kiwifi]

Yes, we used cot bumpers with all our 3 kids, and still do with the smallest (6 mths). They have loads of ties to keep them secure, and our babies tend to creep up the cot (not down) until their head gets wedged, rather uncomfortably, at the top or in a corner. The cot bumper at least keeps it a bit more comfortable!

Also our youngest has on occasion got a fist or foot stuck in the gaps at the end where the bumper didn't go around, so I got a larger one that goes all the way around. I think looking at the pattern is more stimulating for them (if awake in the cot) than looking thru jail-like bars!

Actually, the risk of suffocation never even occurred to me, I guess as we've always used all the ties and push the bottom edge into the mattress to make sure it's securely in place.
:lurking:

 

[jools]

Hi,
I've never used cot bumpers and although my children seem to be quite active when they're asleep they never had a problem with banging their heads. I also won't be using them with our new little one, as we were told that bumpers increase the risk of SIDs since they don't allow the free flow of air around the baby. Now I don't know if this is the case, but it was enough to make us not use them.

Jools

 

[Sleuth]

We use them, but our baby doesn't really move in his sleep. He might thrash a little when waking up, but not enough to move around the crib. (Only 6 weeks old.) And I agree with Kiwifi on the pattern being better than the crib bars.
Not sure why they would prevent the free flow of air around the baby, unless the baby was on top of them, but I am not a research scientist.

 

[odm_post]

We did with all 3 of them. 'Cause they tend to roll around and bump their heads on the bars, thus waking them up We used them until they're really old (2 yo I think ) simply because they liked to snuggle around it Never had any problem with it, now our children are 5,4 and 3

 

[capital]

We never used bumper pads with either child and they never injured themselves. I think children learn where the sides are, just like adults do. In my mind even if they did injure themselves, a stuck arm, or bonk on the head is a lot less serious than suffocating to death, strangling on the ties, or using them as a boost and falling out of the crib and hitting the head a lot harder.