Why in Europe and America they stopped using coconut mattresses for children

Preschool children are recommended to sleep about 12 hours, and children from 2 to 4 years old - all 16 hours. That is, a child can spend a little less than half of his life sleeping! Impressive! But during sleep, growth and the formation of internal organs and skeleton do not stop. The muscles did not relax enough during sleep - please, scoliosis or poor posture. What if there are toxic materials added to the mattress?

Today, an exotic product is popular on the domestic market: a children's mattress with natural filling made from coconut coir. Manufacturers usually position it as a natural product with increased strength and rigidity (very useful for children under three years old). Is your baby destined to experience coconut heaven in his crib? Let's try to figure it out.

Coconut mattresses for children

The big advantage of such mattresses is that coconut fibers are plant-based and safe. They may be called "hay", "grass" or "tooth". The lignified vascular bundles have a length of 15-33 cm and a thickness of 0.05-0.3 mm.

But not everything is so simple in production. For the strength of the product, it is necessary to connect the bundles using special means. Or press them hard. Hence there are two scenarios for the development of events:

• latexing;
• pressing.

First option

The manufacturer uses latex emulsion (water + synthetic rubber particles + polymer additives) for bonding. The volume of such a mixture in the finished product reaches 60% or more. A very natural product, isn't it?

Natural rubber latex is difficult to find. Typically, synthetic is used in production, whose composition is very close to the composition of latex for gloves, balls, etc.

Second option

To reduce the cost of production, pressing is ideal. The result is needle-stitched mats for the mattress. But the quality leaves much to be desired. Products cannot withstand loads for a long time; pressed coconut fibers crumble heavily and even turn into dust...

Important! Americans and Europeans do not produce coconut slabs for mattresses. These products do not meet the requirements either in terms of quality or safety.

How can a coconut mattress be dangerous for a child?

Synthetics and smell

The manufacturer may boast of the naturalness of a coconut fiber mattress, but due to the use of synthetic mixtures, there is no smell of it. And it smells (sometimes strongly) of car rubber!

Dangerous composition

How else can a coconut mattress be harmful for children?

An allergy to latex may manifest itself in the form of:

• difficulty breathing;
• skin problems;
• anaphylaxis;
• in some cases, death is possible.

Formaldehydes, which are usually safe for adults in small doses, are also harmful to children's bodies.

Moisture absorption

Moisture absorption is also questionable. Manufacturers claim that a product with an exotic filler practically does not retain moisture. But what about the fact that agricultural producers note the high ability of coconut to retain moisture?

Important! If you do not ventilate and dry the mattress, it will become a wonderful clearing for rotting and the development of fungi and mold.

Low strength

But what about the fact that the coconut filling crumbles, and soon you will have to forget about the direct functions of the mattress? There will be dust in the lungs and a shapeless product, waiting in the wings for a landfill.

Summing up

Perhaps there are coconut products that are safe and comfortable for sleeping. It seems to me that the price for this product should be high, and the product has been tested by time and several generations.

I tend to choose natural and safe products, but I try not to let marketers blind me with such assurances. The minimum is to read information about the composition and manufacturer, the maximum is to interview friends and try it yourself, and then give it to your baby.

Responsibility for the health of a child cannot be transferred 100% to either doctors or entrepreneurs who create products.