A bassinet, bassinette, or cradle is a bed specifically for

babies An infant or baby is the very young offspring of human beings. ''Infant'' (from the Latin word ''infans'', meaning 'unable to speak' or 'speechless') is a formal or specialised synonym for the common term ''baby''. The terms may also be used to ...

from birth to about four months. Bassinets are generally designed to work with fixed legs or caster wheels, while cradles are generally designed to provide a rocking or gliding motion. Bassinets and cradles are distinguished from Moses baskets and carry cots, which are designed to be carried and sit directly on the floor or furniture. After four months, babies are often transferred to a crib (North American usage) or cot (UK usage). In the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., federal district, five ma ...

, however, the bedside sleeper is the prevalent option, since they are generally bigger, recommended up to 6 months, and often used up to a year.

Design

A bassinet is typically a basket-like structure on free-standing legs, often with castors.Injury Prevention for Children and Adolescents: Research, Practice, and Advocacy
Karen DeSafey Lille, Ed. 2006. p.71. A cradle is typically set in a fixed frame, but with the ability to rock or glide.

Use

Bassinet usage in the United States nearly doubled to 20% from 1992–2006.Pike, Jodi, and Rachel Y. Moon
“Bassinet Use and Sudden Unexpected Death in Infancy.”
The Journal of Pediatrics 153.4 (2008): 509–512. Greater than 45% of babies up to two months used a bassinet. By 5–6 months, however, fewer than 10% of babies sleep in bassinets. In a hospital environment, a special form of sealed bassinet is used in a

neonatal intensive care unit A neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), also known as an intensive care nursery (ICN), is an intensive care unit (ICU) specializing in the care of ill or premature newborn infants. Neonatal refers to the first 28 days of life. Neonatal care, as k ...

. On many long-haul flights, most airlines provide a bassinet (which is attached to a bulkhead) to adults travelling with an infant, i.e., a child under the age of two. The use of the bassinet is restricted by the infant's size and weight. These need to be requested in advance with the airline. However, most USA and Canadian airlines have bassinet policies which mean they are only allocated at the airport gate.Example of airline travel information regarding children and infants

Lufthansa Deutsche Lufthansa AG (), commonly shortened to Lufthansa, is the flag carrier of Germany. When combined with its subsidiaries, it is the second- largest airline in Europe in terms of passengers carried. Lufthansa is one of the five founding ...

Research has shown that the

mattress A mattress is a large, usually rectangular pad for supporting a lying person. It is designed to be used as a bed, or on a bed frame as part of a bed. Mattresses may consist of a quilted or similarly fastened case, usually of heavy cloth, con ...

influences

SIDS Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) is the sudden unexplained death of a child of less than one year of age. Diagnosis requires that the death remain unexplained even after a thorough autopsy and detailed death scene investigation. SIDS usual ...

outcomes; a firm mattress lowers SIDS risk. Some bassinets are designed to rock or swing freely, with many carers finding their child calmed by this action. The process of lulling the child to

sleep Sleep is a sedentary state of mind and body. It is characterized by altered consciousness, relatively inhibited Perception, sensory activity, reduced muscle activity and reduced interactions with surroundings. It is distinguished from wakefuln ...

may be accompanied by prerecorded or live performance of

lullabies A lullaby (), or cradle song, is a soothing song or piece of music that is usually played for (or sung to) children (for adults see music and sleep). The purposes of lullabies vary. In some societies they are used to pass down cultural knowledg ...

Stationary or portable

Although there are many variations, they fall generally into two categories: * light and portable types sometimes called ''Moses baskets'' * sturdier but less portable cradles In both cases, they are generally designed to allow the resting baby to be carried from place to place. Within the home, they are often raised on a stand or other surface to reduce back strain when bending over to tend the baby. Wheeled frames to convert a bassinet into a pram or baby carriage are common.

Smart Bassinets

Bassinets that automatically soothe babies by sound and motion in response to crying recently have become available, starting with the Snoo in October 2016. The Snoo has been criticized for its high price. Graco, 4Moms, and other companies have introduced cheaper competing products.

Rolling

At three or four months of age babies are able to roll over by themselves; this means they could tip the bassinet over, so for safety they must use an

infant bed An infant bed (commonly called a cot in British English, and, in American English, a crib, or far less commonly, stock) is a small bed especially for infants and very young children. Infant beds are a historically recent development intended to ...

toddler bed A toddler bed is a small bed designed for toddlers. A child grows capable of escaping an infant bed around one and a half or two years of age, at which they are often transitioned to a toddler bed. They become too large for a toddler bed between the ...

instead.

References

{{Bedding Babycare Beds Infancy

Design

Use

Stationary or portable

Smart Bassinets

Rolling

See also

References