to think that 'banning' cot bumpers is a bit OTT

[gotnotimeforthat]

I recently saw a facebook page with a petition to ban cot bumpers because sadly a 9 month old died after suffacating by the cot bumper wrapped around his neck. I can't even begin to imagine what the parents must be going through but still i can't help but think that the petition is OTT.

This is because:

1. with double knots i struggle to get the bumper of the cot myself, it took me 15 minutes to take it off this morning so i could wash it. I check every night that it is secure.
   
   
2. I personally use a bumper because i don't want my DS to put his arms through the bars, if he grabs hold of something he wll pull at it until he reahes at it so he can stick it in his mouth, he then slings his head forward over and over ( he's breastfed so he does this to me a lot too, he's saying he's hungry) I would prefer my baby not to be headbutting the wooden bars of the cot. with a bumper he has nothing to grab onto.
   
   
3. I think blankets have a higher death rate but as far as i am aware there is no petition to ban those.
   
   So AIBU?

[mrsleomcgary]

I've also read conflicting info on the use of bumpers on reputable sites such as nct etc about the use of bumpers,some saying use until baby can stand ,others saying not before one year old. Personally I do have one for 16week old but the bumper is at the head of the cot and she sleeps at the foot and as a result isn't actually anywhere near the bumper, its just decoration. But my cot has solid wood ends rather than bars so as soon as she can move I will remove it as its only tied by half of the ribbons so could be pulled if she got at it.

[monicalewinski]

They don't need to untie the knots, they can get their necks in between the top bit of the bumper (between knotted ties) and the cot itself and strangle.

I had one in the cot as they looked pretty, then took it off as soon as my babies were moved from basket to cot.

Slight tangent to cot bumpers, but I read the other day about yet another toddler strangled by blind cords - please, please check for looped cords if you haven't already, and any friends/family houses where your toddler may be out of sight at all.

[gotnotimeforthat]

mrsleomcgary i tuck the ties, along with a couple of inches of bumper down the side of the mattress.

I too have read conflicting advce, i suppose it's like most things pregnancy/parenting related. years ago the advice was to position your babys at the head of the moses basket/cot and some women were ordered by their doctors to eat plenty of liver during pregnancy if they had low iron. peanuts is another good example, they go from safe to non safe and back again quite frequently.

[gotnotimeforthat]

monicalewinski i get what you're saying, but i can't help but think that some inititive will go a long way.

My bumper only had ties around the top so i cut out some scrap fabric and stiitched my own on the bottom. adding an extra couple at the top too. The bottom ties go around both the cot base and the wooden side bars. This makes the bumper extremely secure and any gaps are under the matress and well away from the head. Coinsidentaly this also means the bumper only reaches half way up cot so there is still plenty of air flow. I then check the whole thing is still secure everynight at bedtime. Ds cannot reach the ties, he cannot reach any of the edges of the bumper. he cannot roll either. I feel it would be unfair for me to be 'banned' from using this product when i am indeed using it correctly and safely.

as for the blind cords i have heard a few stories about that and saw a petition to ban those too. But im sure there are other ways to lower that risk. A couple of hooks by the side of the window for example, hook the cord over the hooks and it will keep the cord close to the wall making it quite hard to get your head into. place the hooks higher up if you like so the whole thing is completely out of a childs reach

[Pregnantberry]

I think that if manufacturers or shops had to put a warning on them then it would be sufficient. I always thought it was a bit dodgy how shops often sell them as if they were the done thing as part of cot bedding sets.

[gotnotimeforthat]

sarinka because if you had bothered to RTFT or even any of the posts i have written you would realise that it isn't pointless to me and is actually quite useful. And that i have gone out of my way to ensure that it is the safest it can possibly be.

many many children die in cots without bumpers, they die in cars, pushchairs, bathtubs, should we all get rid of those too?

[Handsoff7]

YABU. SIDS is the number one killer of otherwise healthy babies. There are loads of things it'd be convenient or easier to do that we don't do to keep them safe.

No one would suggest taking a baby in a car without a car seat and that's good - no babies died in cars on Uk roads in the last war data is available.

Even if you've managed to make it safe, it makes sense to ban it if the bulk of the population wouldn't.

[Handsoff7]

That'd be last year not last war.

[Waltonswatcher1]

I wouldn't use them as they seem pointless and risky . But I don't use stair gates ; many see that as unnecessarily risky .

[LackaDAISYcal]

I had to share with my DS until he was well past a year old, and used a cot bumper as a means to hide from him; as he would be too chatty if he saw me in bed after putting him down after a night feed. It worked till he could sit up anyway!

[LackaDAISYcal]

oh, meant to say that I tied it to the outside of the cot, so no chance of it falling on him and it was only along one side of the cot.

[wheresthelight]

Well for a start the guidelines say bumpers are not meant to be used for babies under 12 months!!

My dd is 8 months and has had a bumper since day 1 as despite all the feet to foot crap she has always managed to wriggle to the top and bash her head! I also. Have the side bar padded bumper type things round the sides as she has several eggs on her head from headbutting the bars whilst trying to escape it.

It is unfortunate that a child has died, but as others have said there is no airflow aroundcthe sides of a moses basket, if the ties in their liners are not checked daily they could also cause a death so it all seems a bit ott.

There is clearly more yo the story and i suspect as others have suggested that a degree of negligence on the part of the parents is involved for not checking it was secured correctly to the cot.

I check dd's before amd after every use of her cot. If i don't check it and something was to happen then it would be my fault not that of an inanimate piece of fabric!

[gotnotimeforthat]

Handsoff

There are loads of things it'd be convenient or easier to do that we don't do to keep them safe

Even if you've managed to make it safe, it makes sense to ban it if the bulk of the population wouldn't.

so instead of encourage people to put the effort in to making certain risky things a lot less risky we just be lazy and ban it all together? I'm afraid that does not make sense well to me at least.

Do you have a link to back up your claim? not trying to call you a liar but im intrigued about the stats involving car crashes.

[deakymom]

the page has mostly become about safe sleeping since the autopsy findings which is useful

[dontriskit]

One response we often get to our campaign from people who still use cot bumpers is 'They wouldn't sell them if they weren't safe'.

I wish I could say that were true but the evidence says otherwise.
Cot bumpers pose a risk of strangulation and suffocation. They can cause overheating, a major contributor to cot death, and cut down the circulation of oxygen in the cot. Here's the advice and evidence www.parenting.com/article/sids-prevention. All questions should be answered here.

I'm sure we can all think of products on the market that aren't safe. There are many things that look like a great idea at first glance, but really haven't been thought through properly and the potential risks not taken into consideration. Not to mention the amount of products recalled each year. There were at least 51 product recalls last year just on items affecting children. The overall list runs into hundreds.

What about the kitemark and CE mark? Do you actually know what they mean?

When you see a product with a Kitemark this means BSI has independently tested it and has confirmed that the product conforms to the relevant British Standard, and has issued a BSI license to the company to use the Kitemark. The manufacturer pays for this service and their product is tested, and the manufacturing process is assessed, at regular intervals.

The Kitemark is the symbol that gives consumers the assurance that the product they have bought really does conform to the appropriate British Standard and should therefore be safe and reliable.

Manufacturers are not legally required to display a Kitemark on their products, but many everyday products and appliances such as fridges, electrical plugs and crash helmets have them.

What is CE marking?

Many products such as new toys must meet legal requirements before they can be sold within the European Community, and must carry CE marking. CE marking attached to a product is a manufacturer's claim that it meets all the requirements of the European legislation.

In short, if you buy a product with the CE mark this is only the manufacturer's claim that it meets the correct standards. It has not been officially tested.

The kitemark, while giving you confidence at item has been tested only covers certain things, such as flammability, stitching etc. It does NOT test if a bumper is safe to use in situ with a child, only that the bumper itself meets the standards set out.
It tells you the bumper won't catch fire easily, is made of the correct materials etc but not if it is a suffocation hazard if your baby rolls against it, or can cause a build up of carbon dioxide. That is not covered by the kite mark.

Please do not assume that just because a product is sold that it is safe. There are many badly designed products on the market.

If this has helped you change your mind about using a cotbumper please sign Preston's petition. Cot bumpers can, and have, taken lives. Don't let them take another.
epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/54991

[dontriskit]

CALLING ALL TO HELP SAVE
BABIES LIVES!

We'll keep sharing until the whole world knows the dangers will you help us please? Lets see this go viral it might save a child.

My name is Preston I grew my angel wings on 11/09/2013 aged nine months 8 days. The cot bumper was tied on correctly and knotted tightly but it ripped off from the ties that remained on the cot still knotted.
But daddy found me with it wrapped around my neck twice the investigation could not rule this as the cause so the coroner ruled my passing as SUDS sudden unexplained death syndrome. These facts below will tell you more about the dangers.
Im raising awareness through my mummy and daddys brave decision to share my story and fight to get cot bumpers banned in the uk and have done so since just one week after I became an angel. My grandma and a friend are helping them too.

COT BUMPERS
* the SHOCKING truth!!
We will keep sharing until everyone, right across the world, understands the risks. Every parent needs to know the dangers.

Cot bumpers pose a risk of strangulation and suffocation. They can cause overheating, a major contributor to cot death, and cut down the circulation of oxygen in the cot. Heres the advice and evidence www.parenting.com/article/sids-prevention. All questions should be answered here. READ and be informed.

As well as a list detailing the 27 deaths mentioned in the AAP report we have this.
We have been reluctant to post it as don't want to get accused of upsetting/scaring people, although we think its something people ought to see.

It makes for very distressing reading, have a hanky ready

If you are convinced enough not to use a bumper then you might not need to look.*
Anyone who is still using a bumper I advise you do read. Then you know why we have to get them banned . If someone had been brave enough to share this then many babies would be here still. Here is a list of deaths by cot bumpers the ages of the babies and how it happened.

www.gomamagodesigns.com/Table.html

Sign the petition as many times as you like with your multiple email addresses.you must check your inbox after filling in your details and click the link within the confirmation email else your name won't be added.

*Click this link and sign
epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/54991 *

Lets make this Stop !!you can help us make our government listern and help put lives before profit !!! America,Canada and Australia to name just a few are making all aware or banning cot bumpers the UK as usual are lagging behind. They stopped recording accidental deaths in 2005 so gather no evidence. Instead it takes grieving parents to speak out and warn all.

My mummy and daddy were not informed by any authority of the dangers of cot bumpers. They are raising awareness to all in loving memory of Me
Please help love Preston xxx

[dontriskit]

We are often asked about alternatives to traditional bumpers, but despite their seeming advantages we don't recommend them. We are yet to be convinced that they still don't pose a risk and stick with the advice that a safe cot is an empty cot. There really is no reason to have a bumper at all, as this article explains.
www.examiner.com/article/breathable-bumper-pads-are-they-safer

The advice is a safe cot is an empty cot .There have been no studys by health proffessionals into "breathable" bumpers but the AAP feel even these could have a risk of entrapment or strangulation. We dont want by any means to tell you how to parent but we can give you all the evidence so you can make an informed choice. Remember a baby gets squeezed through the birth canal a huge force inflicted on their tiny body and heads their bones are flexable so are the sutures in their skull. To break a limb would be really hard to do by getting it trapped in the bars. xx

[dontriskit]

Read the evidence

[dontriskit]

Bare is best
you cant prevent sids but you can reduce the risk factors

[morethanpotatoprints]

Mine are all much older.
In 1991 I was given the advice and it was generally noted that
"Cot bumpers should only be used for 6 months"
Is this still the same? If this is so then the message isn't getting across.
All these cases are so sad.

[dontriskit]

Many mums think cot bumpers are safe because they have used them without problem. They are NOT safe. That is like saying it's ok for your baby to travel without a car seat because only a few died without them. There is no way of knowing which car will be in an accident, and there is no way of knowing which baby will die because of his or her cot bumper. PLEASE DO NOT TAKE THE RISK.

There is no justifiable reason for cot bumpers. Parents have been conned by stores and manufacturers that bumpers are a safety item, a 'must have' nursery essential. The dangers are well known to the companies that make and sell bumpers, they just choose to ignore them. They hide behind the glib statement that their products 'conform to safety standards' but all this actually means is they are made of the correct materials, they are fire retardant, the standards of production are satisfactory.

It does not mean that a baby cannot suffocate against them, because they can and have. It does not mean that they cannot increase the level of carbon dioxide in the cot, because they do (tests have proved this). It does not mean that a child cannot choke or strangle on the ties because they can and have. It does not mean that they don't contribute to over heating, because they do. It does not mean that ties cannot snap with fatal results because Preston's ties snapped.

They are not safe if you remove them at six months, or when your baby can sit unaided, because babies only days old have died because of the bumper their parents thought would protect them.

They are not safe if you only use them after your baby is over 12 months old. Children over two have died because of the bumper their parents thought would protect them.

They are not safe no matter how often you check those ties.

A bumped head can be kissed better. A trapped leg can be unstuck. A lifeless baby can only be mourned, and remembered and missed every second of every day.

Bumpers have one use, and one use only, to make money for those who manufacture and sell them. Do not fall for the hype. Bumpers do not protect your baby, they put him at risk every time he goes to sleep. Most people will be lucky. Some won't. Is it a chance you want to take?

Read this to see why the hazards outweigh the benefits.
www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/09/070918165353.htm

Please sign Preston's petition.
Say NO to bumpers.

[Lagoonablue]

DS used to sleep with his head pushed uk against the cot bars and would wake with a red mark on his face. I bought the airwrap bumper so he could sleep safely. It fixes with strong velcro.

[maddening]

I guess that there is safe bumper use (checking ties regularly, using a breathable bumper, making sure it is used properly ) as there is safe cosleeping - to some any risk is unacceptable on a sliding scale as with many things in life - sometimes in any situation there are dc that are lost and a portion of those will be due to not taking safety measures or reading the risks - a great many despite doing anything wrong.