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Baby mattress selection guide

1. The importance of sleep!

Your baby not only learns when he or she is awake but also when he or she is asleep! During sleep, his brain records and stores all the new things he heard and saw while he was awake. So the more quality and restful his sleep is, the more efficient the process of recording his new experiences becomes! So sleep is of huge importance not only for your baby’s physical development, but also for his or her mental development. Another very important issue that should be of concern to parents who have babies, especially when they are in their first year of life, is safety during sleep.

2. The selection process.

So when parents enter the process of choosing a mattress for their newborn, what they are primarily concerned about is the right position where the baby should sleep. Indeed this is a sensitive issue that needs special treatment since the opinions of pediatricians are divided. Some suggest sleeping babies on their sides, since, based on statistics, it has been suggested that sleeping on the stomach is one of the causes of Sudden Death Syndrome. However, American pediatricians in recent years have argued that the safest sleeping position is on the back. After all, once the baby starts moving around more, it will find a position that works for it. But however we put him to sleep, we never use a pillow until he is at least 6 months old. Then we choose a pillow specifically for infants. Research-wise it is rather difficult to isolate and study all possible combinations of risk factors and correlate them statistically, so we instruct new parents to consult their personal paediatrician and avoid trusting the various opinions found on various sites and forums.

3. The first stage of selection.

After parents have received the required medical advice on their baby’s sleeping position, it is time to choose the ideal and safe mattress. In the first few months, the baby will sleep in a bassinet or in the port bumper. For this period, but also after the baby is transferred to the cot, the ideal sleeping surface is one that provides comfort and proper support with materials that are elastic and not rigid, while allowing air permeability and ensuring that the baby’s sensitive and soft bones and spine are not under any pressure.

4. Some useful tips for you parents to choose the ideal mattress for your baby.
  • Trust a company with reliability, expertise and experience. GRECO STROM is certified with ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 13485 and creates high quality products that ensure a healthy and safe environment for infant & child sleep. The innovative technology behind GRECO STROM products is based on scientific research and can guarantee maximum hygiene, safety and comfort for your baby at night and during the day.
  • The baby mattress must be made of selected and certified materials and be free of heavy metals and other harmful substances. Babies are much more sensitive to them than adults and don’t forget that they spend several hours of the day on their mattress!
  • With dedication and perseverance to quality for 60 years, GRECO STROM has managed to become the Number 1 baby mattress manufacturer in Greece, offering the best materials, the richest choices, the most sophisticated products, in strict compliance with the most stringent international standards for the production of baby mattresses. Specifically, GRECO STROM ‘s baby mattresses have been tested and certified by the Swiss certification body of safety and quality of products SWISS APPROVAL INTERNATIONAL as regards their compliance with the applicable European directives and regulations and meet the requirements of the European standard .
  • The mattress materials should be ecological and friendly to the baby’s sensitive skin. Avoid materials that do not “breathe”. Especially the mattress fabric should be anti-allergenic, with a special anti-acarea treatment to prevent the growth of mites and other microorganisms responsible for causing allergies and respiratory problems.
  • After parents have been assured of the reliability of the company and its products, the time comes to choose the type of mattress. The right baby mattress must combine the right conditions of hygiene and safety while offering support, comfort and adjusting to the curves of the baby’s body, without putting pressure on it and making its movements difficult.
 
5. What you need to know about mattresses. Choose the insert material!
  • HAIRLOCK: Hairlock material is made exclusively from natural horse hair, which has been treated with 100% natural latex, a fully renewable material, to give it structure and elasticity. Scientific research has proven that horsehair has the extraordinary property of providing a sense of comfort in both hot and cold conditions, creating an ideal microclimate. The high elasticity, durability and the inherent hypoallergenic, antimicrobial and anti-aging properties are the key functional characteristics of Hairlock. Body temperatures are converted into moisture in the form of perspiration. The hollow fibre of the horses’ mane has naturally amazing ventilation properties, carrying this moisture away from the body thus ensuring a comfortable and perfectly healthy sleep.
  • LATEX: Latex is a white milky liquid, derived from the sap of the tropical rubber tree Hevea brasiliensis, often found in Southeast Asia. Its specialised production process gives it unique elasticity, flexibility and excellent recovery. It follows and adapts perfectly to the contours of the body, ensuring the distribution of the pressure exerted during sleep. In this way, it promotes proper blood circulation in the spine and limbs. Its numerous holes allow the ideal ventilation of the mattress, preventing the growth of microbes, fungi and mites, thus ensuring the best hygienic conditions.
  • ELASTICATED COCONUT: A 100% natural product of great durability, derived from the collection and processing of the outer fibres of the tropical coconut tree, which are enriched with extracts from the rubber tree (latex). This creates a 100% natural material with a long life and a stable base, offering comfort and flexibility. In addition, the structure of the rubberized coir allows air to breathe inside the fibres, thus providing a natural insulating environment that ensures the maintenance of the right temperature and humidity and prevents the growth of microbes, fungi and mites.
  • LABYRINTH: An innovative material that creates the most comfortable microclimate for a restful and relaxing sleep. It is a hypoallergenic, non-toxic thermoplastic elastomer, combining the characteristics of the most rigorously selected, fully recyclable synthetic fibres and the best design patterns of nature. The result is an unparalleled combination of elasticity, pressure separation and ventilation, providing the highest level of comfort. It is easily washable to keep it clean, dries quickly and is completely waterproof.
  • VISCOPUR / AQUAPUR: Made from VISCOPUR memory foam, it minimizes pressure points, and creates “weightlessness” conditions, causing proper blood flow to your baby’s spine. The combination of the memory foam with the highly elastic and open-cell structure AQUAPUR foam makes it perfectly ergonomic.
  • FOAM AIR: An innovative foam material with great elasticity and flexibility. Thanks to its open cellular structure, it allows air to breathe while at the same time, due to its high density, it ensures the maximum performance of the mattress providing excellent resilience and durability.
  • BABY POCKET SPRING UNIT 500s: This is a unit of independent springs that are housed separately in fabric pockets, in order to ensure maximum anatomical behaviour of the mattress. The individual elasticity of each spring contributes to the ergonomic adjustment of body weight and thus to the correct support of the spine and limbs.
  • BABY BONNELL SPRING UNIT 200B: The stability and durability of this type of springs create a strong core that also promotes air permeability, ensuring the conditions for a high quality, stable and durable mattress.

GRECO STROM allows you to choose the outer cover of your mattress which is fully removable and washable. All fabrics used for the manufacture of the outer covers of baby mattresses have antibacterial, antimicrobial, anti-microbial, anti-carcinogenic properties and are certified with OEKO TEX STANDARD 100.

 
6. Additional instructions for your baby’s safe sleep.
  • For hygiene reasons, the baby’s mattress should be new, as it is possible that normal wear and tear has occurred through use, which may pose health risks.
  • Make sure there are no gaps larger than two fingers between the sides of the cot and the mattress.
  • Never interfere with or modify the mattress.
  • Ensure a healthy, clean and safe sleep for your baby by choosing one of GRECO STROM‘s mattress protectors. Their use is considered essential.
 
7. The accessories!
  • Choosing the right pillow helps to align the body as it covers the gap between the head and the mattress, offering a comfortable and restful sleep. Their materials should be hypoallergenic such as memory foam, latex or micro-fiber and should be replaced with new ones within 2 years.
  • Avoid heavy and unnecessary covers in the cot, as the baby should have freedom of movement and not be wrapped up in them, especially when he or she starts to become more active.
  • Do not use hot water bottles or heated pads!
  • Do not put soft objects and anything else that may increase the risk of entrapment or drowning in the cot!
  • Do not leave children alone, unattended.
  • It is not recommended to use sleeping pads until 12 months of age.
 
8. The bedroom!
  • Ventilate the area well, every day.
  • Maintain an ideal temperature in his room.
 
9. Conclusion, an important choice for your baby.

Obviously, buying a baby or children’s mattress is not the easiest task and this guide brings together all the issues you need to consider. The right baby mattress must therefore combine the right hygiene and safety conditions while offering support, comfort and adjusting to the curves of the baby’s body, without putting pressure on it and making its movements difficult.
You should always do your research and you can find products that stay within your budget. There is an abundance of cheap baby mattresses on the market however you should consider that choosing a safe mattress is extremely important for your baby.