Safety Features for a Cot
Obviously you want any cot that you buy for your child to have multiple safety features. The safety of the baby is paramount so you need to know that the cot that you are buying is able to keep the child safe and secure.
So with that in mind what safety features should you be looking at having included in any cot that you buy?
Safety Features for a Cot
- A teething rail. When a child is teething it tends to chew on anything it can find. When a cot is made of wood (as many are) this constant soft, wet chewing can cause it to splinter. So it is important that the cot is fitted with a safety teething rail where the child is likely to be chewing. This is a plastic rail fitted over the top of the wood that a child will not be able to chew through.
- Strong material. One aspect of the cot that needs careful consideration is the material that it is made of. Cots can come in all materials so you need to ensure that the one you are buying is from a material you trust to be strong enough.
- Workmanship. Similarly all joints in a cot need to be strong enough to support continual use and the growing weight of your child. Shoddy workmanship is a risk that you can’t afford to take.
- Height of the rails. Children are able to get in all sorts of mischief when they are big enough to start moving – and not all is safe. Make sure they can’t climb over the cots rails by ensuring they are high enough to begin with.
- Bedside. Many parents feel better if the baby is next to them. Some cots are literally able to ‘fit’ onto the side of a bed… worth it if you feel you need to be by your child at all times.