Many hospitals today need medical-grade cots and beds for toddlers and babies. These beds ensure that the kids are safe while they are recovering from sickness or receiving treatments. Know that the cots are different from the ones generally found inside the children’s bedrooms and they have various features that parents need to know about.
There are special needs cots that you should consider, and providers guarantee that they are medical-grade.
These toddler cots can be used at home or in hospitals. Some of these are made for children with special needs and may include enclosed cribs, rail guards, pediatric hospital cots, and safety beds.
Some of the features like full mattress articulation and height adjustments are essential for toddlers. Still, there are others designed for babies that provide more ventilation and meshes for softness.
What to Look For
If your baby or toddler is admitted to a hospital, it’s essential to provide them with the best equipment and medical-grade beds available to make their stay more comfortable. Some of the things that you may want to take note of are the following:
- Request for a Crib that Meets all Safety Standards set by Various Organizations. The newer cribs are sold today to meet the safety standards set by Pediatric Associations. If you’re looking for one, it’s best to check them carefully to ensure that they have not been previously recalled, and your physician should know more about them.
- Beddings. Bedding may include waterproof mattresses that are made from flannel. This is cooler than rubber covers or plain plastic, and the sheets should be tightly fitted. Don’t use any cushions if the child is still an infant. Don’t use quilts, pillows, and sheepskins because they can cause a higher risk of SIDS in babies. More about pillows and safety on this page here.
Keeping Your Sick Toddler Safe
As any parent who has spent some time in the hospital caring for their toddlers while they are sick, they may notice that not all cots and cribs were created equal. They are different than what you have in your home, and they may sometimes be called a pediatric medical crib.
According to the US Food and Drug Administration’s science health advisor, Victoria Wagman, M.A., each type of cot is designed for the safety of children, and they have specific features for more comfort. Many parents need to use these beds correctly outside and inside the hospital, especially if they have kids with special needs.
Most pediatric cribs can provide babies and toddlers who need to hook with various medical devices in most hospitals. They should be accessible so that frequent treatments can be administered quickly, and the medical staff should be able to get the vital statistics without any hassle.
Unlike most home cribs, the medical-grade ones have various components that parents need to know about. They have a mattress that’s specifically designed to fit cribs, have latches, movable side rail features, movable end rails, and more. Most of the physicians and nurses are well-trained when it comes to operating these beds safely.
Most often, when toddlers need to stay overnight in the hospital for a few weeks, most parents will want to stay with them too. The kids with rotavirus may need someone in charge of feeding, cleaning, and comforting them all through the night. It would be best to ask the nursing staff to tell you how to operate the medical cribs properly.
Parents who use the cribs or want to make adjustments may need to become skilled when using them. Some of the things that they need to do are the following:
- Locking, latching, and opening mechanisms of the side rails
- Lowering or raising the sides based on the child’s needs
- Lowering or raising the mattresses
- Get angles for the mattresses for maximum comfort
- Unlocking and locking the wheels for safety
If the parent turns to another caregiver to be with the toddler, it’s best to know how to operate the beds or cots correctly. If they are taller than the parent, they need to know how to raise the mattresses or lower them to avoid injuries.
Caring for the Sick Child at Home
The same features go with pediatric cots that many parents use at home. While the cribs themselves are available from various manufacturers, the FDA has specific regulations that the companies should follow. The parents who have a sick child should decide and evaluate the benefits of using a pediatric crib in their home and discuss this with their physician whenever necessary.
If the doctor prescribed this for home use, the baby needs to switch to his original crib once he’s well. Using the bed for another child is also a no-no and you should store this afterward in a safer place.
This can be likened to giving a specific prescription drug for the child’s siblings who don’t have the same ailment as their brothers or sisters.
In the same sentiment, when you find that the local daycare facility is looking after your kid who doesn’t have any special needs, make sure that they are transferred to the non-pediatric ones.
The healthier kids are more likely to push some of the latches and lower some side rails. These specialized and medical-grade beds should only be used by sick children who has a caregiver by their side.
Regulations for the Safety of Everyone
Just as equipment like walkers and wheelchairs are considered medical devices, the FDA has regulations with medical bassinets and cribs. For this reason, the ones used at home for non-medical purposes are regarded as consumer products.
Children suffering from strangulation, entrapment, or injuries because they have disengaged the side rails should not have any medical beds in their homes. Most of the rules given by the Consumer Product Safety Commission include manufacturers needing to prohibit the sides from dropping, make the beds stronger, improve slat strength, increase mattress durability, and make the tests more rigorous.
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