Do I need a new cot mattress in this situation

[foolssilver]

Hi

Looking for some advice. DP's parents have a cot which they bought for his DNieces as they live abroad. It turns out that DNieces have only been over twice so the cot has been slept in for a maximum of 4 weeks.

The cot was bought 2 years ago if that matters.

Do I still need to buy a cot mattress do you think?

Thanks, I'm clueless about these things.

You might be ok - the NHS says:

"If you are borrowing a crib or a cot, or using one that has been used by another of your children, you should ideally buy a new mattress. If you can't do this, use the cot mattress you have, as long as it is firm (not soft), flat, fits the cot with no gaps, is clean, and waterproof."

I wouldn't.
I looked into this before DD arrived. There is no evidence of a link between old mattresses and cot death, just a very very slight correlation in the statistics. My opinion is that the link's going to be that 2nd hand mattresses are more likely to be found where there is greater poverty/deprivation, and it's the features of poverty/deprivation that increase cot-death rates.

Therefore, provided the mattress is in good condition etc I would clean/disinfect it and use it. It's a personal decision though and you may decide that no (known) risk is worth taking for your LO.

For the cost of a new mattress i'd say it's worth it for total peace of mind.

I wouldn't. I have acquired a 1 yr old mattress in VG condition and probably will not replace it. it is a personal decision though.

As others have said it is a personal decision, but I am expecting my second child and had just assumed I would use the same cot, mattress and all, that I used for my first one. Now wondering if I should give it more thought.

Personally, I'd use it without a doubt.

But then my babies both slept in my bed with me, and it never occurred to me to replace my own mattress before they were born!

My 2 had a secondhand mattress (similar to OPs description) and it didn't worry me at all. My sister on the other hand would have driven herself mad with the worry, so I'd say go for what makes you feel most comfortable. I reasoned that I'd be putting one of those waterproof baby cot sheets on with a cotton sheet over the top, we don't smoke, none of our family or friends smoke, we don't drink, and despite needing a bit of of decorating here and there our home's warm and dry, plus baby slept in the Moses basket next to us for the first 6 months, so would be a bit older and more robust. It worked out fine for us, but definitely make your choice based on what makes you feel most least stressed!