Are Drop-side Cots Better or Safer?
Are Drop-side Cots Better or Safer?
A drop-side crib is built in a way that one side slides up and down, allowing parents to access their baby without reaching so far over the side. Some parents have come to us seeking for drop side cots for the convenience of picking up their baby during feeding time.
But are they safe?
There have been many debates about the safety of drop side cot, some are hard up against the usage of drop side cots, while others swears by it. Ironically, from 2011 the U.S. Consumer Protection Safety Commission (CPSC) has banned the production and sale of drop-side cribs.
Why is this so?
Within the course of 9 years, there were 32 infant deaths (and many more close-call incidents), and they were all involving a malfunction in drop-side cots. The same mechanisms that allow for the drop-side functionality also create a gap between the mattress and the side of the cot. As a result, babies have become trapped and suffocated or got strangled. After further analysis, there is also another possible risk which accompanies the usage of drop-side cot.
We all know parenting can be tiring, and when one is tired, we may tend to forget stuff such as pulling back up the drop side after letting it down. With a shortened side rail height, the babies can climb out of their cots more easily, especially when unsupervised by parents which can lead to serious injuries or death.
Although such cots are banned in USA, drop-side cots are still available in Singapore as the country doesn’t have strict regulations on cots’ safety. It is also up to parents to make informed decisions for their babies.
At Baby’s Hyperstore, we believe in delivering products following stricter safety standards to provide parents with peace of mind. While drop-side cots may provide you with the slight convenience to reach your baby easier only at the starting few months, the non-drop-side cots can offer more height adjustments and some are even able to convert for other usage so as not to waste the cot after the baby has outgrown it.
Check out the Beblum Lavo 5 which has 9 adjustable heights, and the Beblum Sam Crib which is an ultimate transformer. Both are convertible to a playpen, table, sofa, and etc., once your little one grows out of sleeping in the cot!
