buying guides
Baby equipment safety
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Right from birth, you'll no doubt be making use of a wide range of products created specially for babies, from car seats to highchairs and other baby gear. Here's what you need to know about buying and using equipment, from a baby safety point of view:
Cots, cribs and moses baskets
- When buying a cot new, check it conforms to British Safety Standard BS EN 716. That way, you can guarantee it will have be of a safe design.
- If you're buying secondhand or have been passed on a cot, check the measurements: according to The Child Accident Prevention Trust (CAPT), it should be at least 49.5cm deep so your baby can't climb out, and the bars should be vertical, with spacing of 4.5cm to 6.5cm (2" to 3") between them, so your baby cannot get her head trapped.
- Safety experts recommend you always buy a new mattress when you're kitting out a nursery, as there's some evidence that bacteria may gather in old mattresses which could be a health risk. Bought new, cot mattresses should conform to BS 1877. Make sure it fits the cot - according to CAPT, there should not be a gap of more than 4cm (2") between mattress and cot bars, otherwise your baby's head could become trapped.
- Cribs are no longer suitable once your baby is strong enough to climb out. Check they are sturdy and that any swinging mechanism is lockable. Bought new, cribs should conform to BS EN 1130.
- Moses baskets are only suitable until your baby starts to roll over (by which time she's likely to be too big for one, anyway!). Check for BS EN 1466:2014 when buying new. The Child Accident Prevention Trust advises that you don't attempt to carry your baby around in a moses basket, to avoid the risk of tripping, or of your baby falling out.
Pushchairs, prams and buggies
- The British safety standard you're looking for when checking out these products new is BS EN 1888.
- If your pushchair's secondhand, make sure it has a five-point harness, which goes over the shoulders as well as round your baby's waist and between the legs. If not, buy one separately - it should conform to BS EN 13210. Check the brakes work efficiently, including with your baby on board, or when you're going downhill. And make sure there are no sharp pieces of metal or plastic poking through any worn bits of plastic.
- Make sure your pushchair can't fold up when your baby's in it. It should have a safety locking device to prevent this.
- When you're using your pushchair, don't overload it with shopping bags, particularly on the handles, which can unbalance it and cause it to tip.
- Put reflective stickers on your pushchair so it's visible to motorists in the dark and in bad weather.
Slings and backpacks
- These should conform to BS EN 13209.
- Make sure it fastens with clips rather than straps.
- Look for good head support for your baby.
- Bear in mind that accidents can happen when parents wearing slings or backpacks fall over. Wear sensible shoes and take great care, especially in slippery conditions, when transporting your baby in one.
Highchairs
- These should conform to BS EN 14988.
- Make sure your baby's high chair has a five-point harness - if not, buy one separately and fit it yourself. Always use the harness when your baby is in her chair, and don't leave her in one unattended.
- Check for any sharp edges or loose parts.
- Don't buy or take on a highchair if the plastic cover is split and the foam is exposed.
- Table-mounted highchairs should conform to BS EN 1271. Always check the table is sturdy before fitting one, and don't try and use one on a glass table.
Bouncing cradles
- Never put a bouncing cradle or babyseat on a surface other than the floor, even if your baby is still very young. Even kicks and wriggles can produce enough movement to shift it.
Car seats
- By law, all new babies must be carried in a rear-facing car seat for every journey, long or short.
- Never put a rear-facing car seat in the front seat of a car with an airbag. Generally speaking, it's always safer to put your baby's car seat in the back, in any case.
- Try the car seat in your car before buying it - not all models will fit in all cars.
- Don't buy a secondhand car seat, or accept one unless it's from someone you know and trust completely. If it's been previously been damaged, it could have weakened the structure.
- Don't put heavy objects in the car which could move while you're in transit and hit your baby.
- Always double check that the harness is firmly fixed.
- When getting your baby in and out of the car, always do so on the kerbside.
- Take care in the heat, as parts of the car seat's strap can get very hot.
- Don't leave your baby in a car seat for more than a couple of hours at a time. It could put a strain on her spine and there's also research that suggests babies left unsupervised in car seats for long periods - especially if they were born prematurely - are at risk of a restricted airflow.
Changing units
- Be sure you've got everything you need to hand before you start, and never leave your baby on it, even for a second.
Bouncers and walkers
- Make sure your baby's developmentally ready before putting her in a door bouncer or walker - she should have a strong back and be able to hold her own head up well.
- Only accept these items secondhand from someone you know and trust, so you can be certain it's not damaged, and check that it was made recently enough to comply with current safety standards. For walkers, that' s BS EN 1273:2005; for bouncers, BS EN 14036: 2003.
- Never leave your baby unsupervised in a walker.
- Don't let your baby use a walker near stairs, steps or thresholds. Avoid their use upstairs at all, unless you have a very securely fixed stairgate - the sort that's screwed into the wall.
- Check there's nothing in the area that your baby could reach and pull on when she's in her walker, such as hot drinks, electrical cables or anything heavy or sharp. Be extra vigilant in the kitchen - better still, avoid using a walker in there at all.
- When fixing a bouncer to a door, be sure to follow the manufacturer's instructions and recommendations, and check the frame is sturdy and solid enough to take your baby's weight. Avoid using narrow doorways, as your baby could bounce sideways and hurt herself on the frame, and make sure the bouncer will not slide sideways.
- Some health professionals are concerned that walkers and bouncers could restrict your baby's normal development if used too much. Try to limit your baby's use of these items to very short bursts - no more than about 15 minutes at a time, once or twice per day, is a good guideline. And be sure to stop using both walkers and door bouncers as soon as your baby's showing signs of walking, in case they interfere with her progress in doing so.
For more information on keeping your baby safe, check out the websites of the Child Accident Prevention Trust, and RoSPA.
