Charity warns of the 'serious risk' cot bumpers pose to infants

The number of infant deaths linked to ‘cot bumpers’ has increased in recent years, according to a study published in the Journal of Paediatrics.

US researchers found that 48 infant deaths between 1985 and 2012 were specifically attributed to cot bumpers, and an additional 146 infants were involved in cot bumper incidents in which the babies nearly suffocated, choked or were strangled.

Professor Bradley Thach, lead researcher at Washington University has called for a ban on cot-bumpers. He said: “Bumpers are more dangerous than we originally thought. The infant deaths we studied could have been prevented if the cribs were empty.

“When parents go into a baby store to buy a crib, they see all cribs lined with bumpers, and that sends a false signal that if they are selling them, they must be safe.

“A ban on crib bumpers would reinforce the message that no soft bedding of any kind should be placed inside a baby’s crib. “There is one sure-fire way to prevent infant deaths from crib bumpers: don’t use them, ever.”

Padded cot bumpers are tied to the insides of cots and cribs to prevent babies getting their limbs stuck between the railings.

The study found that out of all other items found in cots, including stuffed animals, pillows and blankets, cot bumpers were most likely to cause infant deaths.

Researchers found that in most cases the baby’s nose and mouth had become stuck between the mattress and the bumper.

Although they are widely available in the UK and abroad, the NHS does not recommend cot bumpers - warning parents that their baby may become ‘tangled’ in the fastenings.

The Lullaby Trust, a leading UK charity, has warned of the ‘serious threat’ bumpers pose to infants. Chief executive Francine Bates, added: “This is compelling new evidence that cot bumpers do pose a serious risk to babies. We do not recommend the use of any sort of cot bumpers and urge all parents to follow our safer sleep advice to use a flat firm mattress in a cot or Moses basket with no loose bedding, pillows or bumpers.

“Cot bumpers pose a threat to babies once they begin to roll and move about the cot. We know that some infants have become entangled in the ties and material, or fallen whilst pulling themselves up on the bumpers.

“Baby retailers need to think twice before selling these products or at the very least we need to see consistent safety standards for cot bumpers across Europe and clearer warning messages on all packaging.

“New parents now have a massive range of baby products to choose from and it can be really confusing to know what is needed. Babies need just a few basic items for sleep: a firm flat surface and some bedding. Our advice is simple: the safest cot is a clear cot.”

The Foundation for the Study of Infant Deaths (FSID) advises that cot bumpers are not necessary, but if they are used they should be removed when a baby is old enough to sit unaided and use them to climb out of the cot.

There are not any current national regulations regarding cot bumper safety.