The recall of over 9 million dropside cots in the US has led many UK parents to question the safety of their cot. Now one UK manufacturer, Cosatto, has recalled one batch of its Paris Cot and has issued a repair kit for another model, the Stratford Cot Bed.

The CPSC (Consumer Product Safety Commission) of the USA has proposed that they should be banned from sale in the US and removed from all hotels and nurseries. This ban is very likely to be passed by Congress by the end of the year. The CPSC had received reports of 32 infant and toddler suffocation and strangulation deaths and hundreds of incidents caused by or related to drop-side detachments in cots by various manufacturers

So why are they considered more dangerous?  According to the CPSC, “dropside cribs generally have a tendency to be less structurally sound than cribs with four fixed sides.”

Dropsides can be a godsend for shorter parents who struggle to lift their baby out of the cot. However, it would be sensible to take the following precautions as recommended by the CPSC:

* Every time you change the sheets, check that all visible hardware – every bolt, screw, track and clamp – is securely in place.

* Make sure the drop-side is on its track and functions well.

* With the mattress out of the cot, wiggle all the cot to see how tight all the joints are.

* If the cot remains wobbly after tightening all hardware, look for loose wood-to-wood joints that may be causing the problem.

* Stop using the cot if loose wood-to-wood joints are found or if you cannot fully tighten any screw.

The CPSC also warns that cots older than 10 years old should not be used or any broken or modified cots.

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About the Author:
Louise Guinda is the creator of the Safe Dreams Breathable Cot Wrap, the safe alternative to cot bumpers. Made from beautifully soft padded mesh which allows air to flow throughout the cot and without any dangerous ties which babies can get caught in, it is the perfect solution for safety-conscious parents. Buy it from all good nursery retailers or from http://www.safedreams.co.uk
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Filed under: Babies

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