I went to a local baby furniture shop today and I'm a bit worried about the safety of what's available here in Vietnam. There's no Australian standards here!
Most of the cots I saw didn't seem to have high enough railings.
I went to the shop worried about having to bend over too far to put the baby to sleep because the cots will be made for short Vietnamese people. (The Vietnamese kitchen sink is a killer when I do the washing up). The shop girl said you could raise the level of the mattress base ... but I'm sure that would mean the baby could really easily flip over the railings when it gets to the pulling itself up stage.
Could someone measure how tall the railings are on an Australian-made cot for me please?
I know the slats should be close so the baby can't stick its head through. Are there any other safety issues I should be looking at? We might have to ask someone to make us a cot if we can't find something suitable.
Thanks in advance.
hi goingtobebiginasia,
I also found this just by googling ''cot standards Australia".... hope it helps.
# Spaces between vertical bars must measure between 5cm and 9.5cm in width in
order to prevent head entrapment.
# There should not be any gaps in the cot that measure between 3cm and 5cm in
width, in order to prevent arm or leg entrapment.
# There should not be any gaps in the cot that measure between 5mm and 12mm in
width, in order to prevent finger and toe entrapment.
# The distance between the top of the mattress and the top of the cot sides should be
at least 50cm.
# The inside of the cot must be free from horizontal bars or other features that may
allow your baby to climb over the side of the cot.
# There should be no protruding parts or screws that clothing may get caught on.
# Protrusions must not measure more than 8mm and bolts must not measure more
than 5mm in height.
* source The Children?s Hospital at Westmead, 2008 fact sheet.
Maybe have a look online, I'm sure you could buy a cot that meets Australian Standards and have it shipped to you in Vietnam. Just a thought if you aren't able to find a cot in that you are happy with.
floor to top of rail when up (rail comes down for easy access) - 970 cm
floor to top of mattress on the highest setting - 640 cm
(leaving a clearance of 330 cm between mattress and top of rail)
I have set mine up on the highest setting so cannot tell you what the lowest setting is.
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