What is the recommended age for using a bed rail? I have a 19 month old and we have just bought a proper bed for her. I thought that the recommended age to start using rails was 2, but I can't find this info anywhere. Could you please let me know? Thank you!

Dear Kat,

Thanks for reaching out to Red Nose!

Cot to bed safety is definitely something we need to think about.  It is very important that babies are transitioned when they are ready and not before. You can find our cot-to-bed brochure on our website which gives you signs to look out for. Unfortunately, there is no scientific evidence around the safety and efficacy of bed rails so we cannot provide you with recommendations around this.

There is no rule about bed rails. For babies ready to be sleeping in beds, the safest option may be a mattress on the floor - minimising the risk of accidental falls and injury.  What we want to achieve is safe room where they sleep, free of hazards (ie: toppling furniture, electrical cords etc) and a minimal distance from the mattress to the floor because babies in beds do have an additional risk of falls. This can be achieved by placing a secondary mattress on the floor beside the bed.

Ensure that within her sleep environment, you follow the safe sleep recommendations and do not provide a pillow as yet - the recommendation for pillow use is no earlier than 2 years of age.  If you are choosing to use rails, be sure that there aren’t excess items in the bed that could obstruct your baby’s airways.

I hope this has helped. All the best to you and your beautiful baby!