• Never leave your baby unattended in a cot with the drop side down
• You can use your cot in the highest position until your baby is three months old.
• Change the cot base to its lowest position once your baby can sit up unaided.
• Change the cot to a bed as soon as your toddler shows any signs of attempting to climb out.
• Once the cot bed becomes a bed, you can buy L-shaped bed guards, providing a soft barrier at the edge of the bed.
• Blow-up guards to put under the sheets are also available. For a homemade solution, put a rolled-up blanket or pillow under the outer edge of the mattress to raise it slightly – your toddler will have to roll up a small incline before he or she can fall out. The incline should make this harder to do.
• Until your toddler is used to the bed, put a spare mattress, soft rug, blanket or duvet next to the bed to soften a fall if he or she does roll out.

When to change from a cot to a bed?

• Change the cot into a bed when your baby can reach over the top rail, or shows any signs of trying to climb out. It’s safer to convert it to a bed so they can’t hurt themselves when escaping, rather than spending hours in A&E with a bumped head.
• The lowest side of the cot should not be lower than the shoulder height of your baby. Once your baby is able to pull themselves up to stand (approximately nine months old) and get their arms over the side rail, they will be able to climb out.