We used a Dr Spotts cover on Ds bassenet because we couldnt afford a new mattress at the time and it was a hand me down about 20 times!
When he moved into a cot we got a new cot and innersprung mattress. Personally I think foam ones dont breath enough and are more prone to being affected by damp - and thus mould, but the enviroment you live in would have alot to do with whether this was going to be a factor for you to consider.
New zealand does still have cot death, but they have drastically reduced over the years due to a number of recommendations put out to parents after research due to the huge numbers of cot deaths that there used to be in NZ. There are some things research found that when used by NZ parents reduced the death rate significantly, but there are ( as others have already said) a number of reasons that a baby can die and it be called cot death. A baby doesnt even need to die in a 'cot' or bassenet for it to be a 'cot death'.
Some of the things that have been found to help reduce the chance are sleeping baby on their back, not co- sleeping (in NZ, Maori families traditionally co-sleep, added to the risk of suffocation is overheating and smoking in bed and I think cot death is still higher within Maori families than pakeha( non maori)), not using sheepskins (these use to be very popular in cots and prams in NZ years ago), babies must be kept at a cooler heat - they can overheat easy and also as Dr Sprott says, there is a risk associated with fumes from bacteria from mildew, manufacturing chemicals etc.
I dont think there is anything wrong with using a Dr Sprott cover, but google him and find out more about his covers (there are websites with more info than the link you gave). But there also need to be other things you consider when trying to create the best and safest sleep situation for your baby.
I've always wondered if using a plastic mattress protector would trap heat and make bub sweaty (plus the chems in the plastic). I went for a wool cot mattress protector, they are about twice the price but we never had any leaks (they are thin but very tightly woven). Wool also has antibacterial properties. I couldn't find them very easily though - one place I know where to get them is Nature Baby NZ.
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