Contrary to popular opinion,
SIDS/Crib Death can be prevented.

Please Read This Important Information Below before Ordering.

Results of the New Zealand mattress wrapping campaign for crib death (SIDS) prevention

• Start date of publicity promoting mattress-wrapping: 1995

• Number of babies slept on wrapped mattresses (to December 2010) At least 205,000 ⁽¹⁾

• Reported crib deaths among those babies: None

• Crib deaths on unwrapped mattresses (or parallel bedding situations) during the same period: About 975 ⁽²⁾

• Reduction in New Zealand crib death rate since mattress-wrapping commenced: 72% ⁽³⁾

• Approximate reduction in Pakeha (majority NZ European ethnicity) crib death rate: 85% ⁽³⁾

1. Number derived from three studies which have reported the incidence of mattress-wrapping in New Zealand: NZ Med J. 2000; 113:8-10; NZ Med J. 2000;113:326-327; Eur J Pediatr. 2008; 167(2):251-252.
   
2. New Zealand Ministry of Health: official cot death statistics 1995 to 2010. Reduction in NZ European ethnic rate approximate, owing to changes in official ethnicity reporting which occurred in the mid-1990s.
3. New Zealand Ministry of Health: official cot death statistics 1994 to 2010 (inclusive).

The Story behind Mattress Wrapping

In 1989 Barry A Richardson, a scientist in England proposed the theory that the cause of SIDS/Crib Death was due to toxic gases generated from elements found in commonly used baby mattresses. Dr. T.J Sprott a scientist and chemist from New Zealand had suspected the same since 1986. He felt that healthy babies were not dying from a medical condition, but from a nerve gas being generated in the baby's sleeping environment. Dr. Sprott acted on Mr. Richardson's theory and began a campaign in New Zealand to eliminate cot death/SIDS. In 1994 Dr. Sprott invented BabeSafe^® mattress covers which are a non-toxic plastic covering, polyethylene, produced under strict requirements to have no detectable amounts of the harmful chemical elements listed below. The covers are impermeable to the gases which are heavier than air. The mattress slips inside of this protective 'bag' and is sealed with sticky tape on the end. The cover prevents any gases from getting to the baby. During the past 18 years for which the New Zealand Health Information Service has gathered information, not one instance of Crib Death/SIDS has been reported for infants using the non-toxic BabeSafe® mattress covers and the bedding material specified only of 100% pure cotton or 100% pure woolen on top of the mattress cover.

Mr. Richardson and Dr. Sprott found that most baby mattresses and some bedding materials contain small amounts of phosphorus, arsenic, and/or antimony which are used as a plastic softener, preservative, and fire retardant. In addition, a normally harmless fungus (Scopulariopsis brevicaulis) often grows on the mattresses. Separately, in the amounts put into mattresses these elements are not dangerous but with heat from the baby, the fungus interacts with the phosphorous, arsenic, and/or antimony, causing extremely poisonous gases to be produced that stop the baby's breathing and heart.

Dr. Sprott has provided a simple and affordable answer to protect babies from the toxic gases that can be formed. As one of the distributors for BabeSafe^® you can order through our website and a mattress cover will arrive direct to you from New Zealand by International AirMail. There are no shipping or handling charges. To have the mattress cover shipped from the USA to the USA or Canada, select an Expedited option.

Click Here to Enter Our BabeSafe® Store

Bedding Instructions and approved bedding for use with BabeSafe^® covers:

It is essential to use the correct bedding on a BabeSafe^® wrapped mattress.

Only 100% pure cotton is to be used on top of the mattress cover and over the baby.

This website has been dedicated in memory of Patrick Jaywho died of SIDS at 6½ months of age.

Patrick Jay McDonnell -
Sept 21 2001 to April 9 2002

I worked with Patrick's mother Marla, who is an RN working on labor and delivery. The shock of Patrick's death was compounded by reading shortly afterwards about Dr. Sprott's work in NZ. A needless death could have been averted if this information had been more widely published. Since reading and researching Dr. TJ Sprott's work, I have become a strong advocate of his theory. As of December 2011 there have been over 226,000 babies sleeping on BabeSafe mattress covers with no death due to cot death/SIDS. This is enough evidence to make me want to share it with you.

Barb Knoll, CNM, ret.

Although I am a Nurse-Midwife, for legal reasons I am not able to dispense any medical advice. My only purpose is to share the knowledge in this website with moms and dads and grandparents or any caregiver of infants. It is my desire to provide you with a safe environment for your baby.