Carrycot mattress

[deliwoman1]

We've managed to get hold of a second-hand UPPAbaby Vista V2 travel system (hooray!), but I'm concerned about the carrycot mattress. Ideally I'd buy a brand new one for hygiene and safety, but I'm struggling to find any for sale online (found one but it's on pre-order for after I need it).

I'm just wondering whether you think buying a new mattress is necessary? Or whether a new cover should be enough? I would need a mattress suitable for overnight sleeps, which was why I was hoping to buy a genuine replacement instead of a generic mattress that fits.

I'm also curious as to whether it's the mattress that determines whether the carrycot on a pram is suitable for overnight sleeps or whether it's the carrycot itself?

You can buy replacement generic ones from John Lewis. Our child spent more time in the carrycot than the cot for the first 6 months so yes I would go new for it

Sorry just re-read you don’t want a generic mattress. Not sure why that would be, as then you can be confident you have a safe surface.

If you get a moses basket mattress that fits it would still be overnight sleep safe. Alternatively could you see if there is a local pram/ baby stuff shop that sells uppababy and might be able to get one in for you? If you're in the South East then we found A3 Baby Barn in Chessington is brilliant.

I think with the uppababy bassinet it's a combination of the mattress and the bassinet itself that makes it sleep safe. When we bought ours the shop said it was to do with the ventilation that the bassinet has.

When we started looking at prams the lady in Smyth's (who previously worked for Mothercare) said when a pram is ok for overnight sleep it means it's been tested for the right amount of ventilation.

So some prams might be safe for overnight sleep but the manufacturers haven't paid for safety testing so it is rated as not safe.

It's a combination of the mattress and the cot, because in order to be sleep safe you can't have gaps around where the mattress is. Also the thickness will affect how tall the walls are in comparison.

If it's a standard size I would see no issue in replacing it with another one though even though not the same brand. Have you asked uppababy if this is ok to do?

They do now say that the risk from using second hand mattresses was overblown, and that as long as the mattress is in good condition it's safe to reuse it but can quite understand wanting a new one.

@BertieBotts there was research that showed out of 131 cases of SIDS over half were using a second hand mattress so its still the safest option buying new, mainly due to not knowing the conditions of the previous home / how it had been used or stored.

@deliwoman1 Theres a uppababy selling page on Facebook someone may be selling a new one or know were to buy!

I have just looked up that study Hmum0fthree, and the only reference to it I can find is on "babysleepsite" and if you look at what they are actually referencing, it is studies performed in the 90s, the most up to date one is from 2002.

This was indeed the thinking and advice in the 2000s - we were definitely advised never to use a second hand mattress, which was presumably based on those older studies. But more up to date research shows us that this is not actually as much of a danger as previously thought, and not enough to make it into the recommendations. Lullaby Trust say that although some studies suggested a link, the link is not proven.

Because second hand mattresses were not advised against in the 80s/90s, it was probably more common for people to use them back then, and we also know that there are higher rates of SIDS among lower-income families, so there could be a correlational rather than causational risk. Saying half of babies who died were sleeping on a second hand mattress does not give you useful information unless this is very different from the number of babies in the general population - without knowing how many babies in the general population slept on second hand vs new mattresses, this information is meaningless.

Does it look in good condition? Does it have a waterproof cover on it? If both are those are yes I might just thoroughly clean and dry it. Then get a new cover if possible. And perhaps in the meantime order the new one and start using it when it arrives.

The Lullaby Trust say to use a new mattress when possible as a second-hand one from another home might increase the risk of SIDS "very slightly".

Thanks, everyone. Really helpful. If I can find a generic that fits, I'll go for that.

I don't want to risk it with second-hand. If it was from a family member and I could guarantee it was from a smoke-free home and had been stored properly, that's different. But not from some rando off eBay.

I've asked Uppababy about the dimensions of the mattress so I can try and source one to fit properly. Just annoyed that only one place on the whole of the internet seems to sell the real deal and it isn't available until August. Baby due early July, so I'd rather have it sooner!

Due to the severely limited availability of the mattresses, and the fact they don't even advertise it as an accessory on their website, I get the feeling Uppababy would rather you buy a whole new carrycot, which is so wasteful!