Sleep requirements for baby - baby cot safety specifications to avoid cot death

Things needed for baby room: For the first few months, you will need a crib, a carry cot or a Moses basket (a light, portable bassinet).Your baby needs somewhere to sleep that is safe and warm and not too far away from you. If you are borrowing a crib or cot, or if you have one that has been used by another of your children, you will need a new mattress.

You will also need:

• A firm mattress that fits the cot snugly without leaving spaces round the edges so that your baby cannot trap their head and suffocate

• Sheets to cover the mattress. You need at least four because they need to be changed often. Fitted sheets make life easy but they are quite expensive. You could use pieces of old sheet

• Light blankets for warmth.

Pillows and duvets are not safe for babies less than a year old because of the risk of suffocation. Duvets can also make the baby too hot.

Baby nests and quilted sleeping bags are not suitable for your baby to sleep in when you are not there because of the danger of suffocation.

Baby Cot safety standards  

Your baby will spend many hours alone in a cot, so make sure it’s safe.

• The mattress must fit snugly with no space for your baby’s head to get stuck.

• The bars must be smooth and securely fixed, and the distance between each bar should be not less than 1 inch (25mm) and not more than 2 ½ inches (60mm) so that your baby’s head cannot become trapped.

• The cot should be sturdy.

• The moving parts should work smoothly so that fingers or clothing cannot get trapped.

• Cot bumpers are not recommended as babies can overheat or become entangled in the fastenings.

• Never leave anything with ties – for example, bibs or clothes – in the cot in case they get caught around your baby’s neck.

• If you are buying a new cot, look for the British Standard mark BS 1753.

The baby always should sleep in the ‘feet to foot’ position. This means that the baby’s feet are right at the end of the cot to prevent the baby wriggling under the covers and overheating.

How to avoid cot death   

The Foundation for the Study of Infant Deaths (FSiD) has developed important key messages for parents to help to reduce the risk of cot death.

• Place your baby on their back to sleep, in a cot in a room with you.

• Do not share a bed with your baby if you take medicines.

• Never sleep with your baby on a sofa or armchair.

• Do not let your baby get too hot – keep your baby’s head uncovered – and place your baby in the ‘feet to foot’ position.