One of the most important aspects of choosing a crib mattress for an infant is safety.
The crib mattress should provide a high level of support, and a firm mattress to ensure that the child is going to be safe while sleeping. Though a used crib mattress can be a great way to save the budget for baby, there are some concerns with old crib mattresses and the safety levels associated with these mattresses.
Old Crib Mattresses May include Potentially Harmful Chemicals
Old crib mattresses may include chemicals and other pathogens that were used to manufacture the mattress that may be considered potentially harmful through current standards.
Researching the brand of crib mattress, using the information found on the mattress tag and learning the model, age and history of the mattress can help the parent to determine whether the old crib mattress is going to be safe to use for the infant.
Old Crib Mattresses May Lose Support
Old crib mattresses may lose support through the age. Crib mattresses that have been manufactured between ten to twenty years ago, or even older, will likely lose the support that is required for the infant to remain safe while sleeping in the crib in the crib mattress.
A crib mattress should have firm support for infants both throughout the vertical supports in the mattress and in the supports that are found throughout the edges of the mattress. Ensuring that the mattress has support, and a support system that has not degraded is going to create a safe sleeping experience for the child.
Old Crib Mattresses May Harbor Allergens and Germs
Depending on where the old crib mattress is from and the types of storage and use that the old crib mattress has been subject to can cause the crib mattress to harbor pathogens and germs that could affect the immune system of the infant that is going to be sleeping in the crib.
In addition, the experience, storage and use of the crib may cause the crib to develop attachments that can cause the infant to develop allergies to the components of the crib. Parents with a family history of allergies should always consider a new crib for their child.