OMG mould under baby's mattress!

strawberrypud

I was changing my baby's crib sheet today and when I picked up the mattress to put a fresh sheet on the underside of the mattress was wet and mouldy!!!!!:eek: It can only have been like that for a few days max because there wasn't a lot of mould and I change the sheets weekly. I threw the mattress away and have set her up in her own room in the big cot as of tonight (she's 4.5 months old). I have had the heating on for a couple of hours and all the windows open to air the place. Is there anything else I should do.

In the last couple of days she developed a really stinky cheesy smell in the folds of her neck which I seem to have sorted out using sudocrem. Both my kids have a cough and a cold at the moment but I don't think that is mould related (I hope)

Anyone else ever experienced this? Can anyone reassure me that I have done everything possible to deal with this?

pukkamum

Mould can be very bad for children and adults alike and i'm afraid the coughs and colds are a symptom of exposure to mould spores.
The key to geting rid of mould is ventilation and heat.
You need to find where the mould is clean, seal it, and get the heating wacked up and all the windows open!!!!

Plans_all_plans

We have a small amount of mould on the underside of our guestroom bed (it came to us secondhand from a relative who had stored it in her garage previously). The mould has not spread since it has been in our house and I do not plan to change the mattress - although I understand why you would with a baby.

Is your house damp?

My daughter had cheesy neck too, it's just from when they feed and milk rund onto their neck. I wouldn't worry to much about that. I think it is more likely you could have damp issues in your house though and you've done the right thing with heating on and windows open.

SkintGypsy

My boy has a cold and a cheesy neck (nice) and there is no mould here. I would take the advice as to getting rid of the mould, but I wouldn't panic too much about it having made baby ill.

JBD

I used to get this when I lived in a caravan [as you can imagine it was cold and damp during the winter]. I used to air my sons mattress in front of the fire when he got up, then I would store it on it's side until he went back in it, so that the air could circulate around it.

themull1

you need to wash your babys neck after a feed! or it will get sore.

go_cat

You will need to clean the surface of the cribb thoroughly to kill any remaining spores plus anything else that may have come into contact with mould - i would be checking the whole room throughly just to make sure there are no more patches anywhere else

strawberrypud

go_cat wrote: »

You will need to clean the surface of the cribb thoroughly to kill any remaining spores plus anything else that may have come into contact with mould - i would be checking the whole room throughly just to make sure there are no more patches anywhere else

She won't even be sleeping in that room again! I've moved her into the big cot in her own room now out of her little crib beside my bed I liked having her there and wasn't ready to move her but my hand has been forced! So she is in a fresh room on a brand new mattress tonight!

I'm also sort of upset that we were doing soooo well keeping the heating off and just layering up. We hadn't had it on yet and were aiming for November before having to put it on but now we'll have it on for an hour and a half morning and evening just to keep the house mould free! However that is inconsequential compared to my childrens wellbeing even if it will cost us lots of ££££££

minimoneysaver

To all of those mothers with babies who have icky necks.... you should be cleaning it thoroughly after EVERY feed. That should not be happening! Even if you wipe it properly with warm water and a clean cloth each time, you will not get that happening. Don't forget to check behind and in their ears too. Sometimes as the milk dribbles out it can congregate around the ear area on the way to the neck. Sorry, but it is basic hygiene.

Errata

Mould is caused by damp. Although heating can be on for and hour and a half every morning and evening, it won't keep damp away if the house isn't properly ventilated.

Molly41

strawberrypud wrote: »

She won't even be sleeping in that room again! I've moved her into the big cot in her own room now out of her little crib beside my bed I liked having her there and wasn't ready to move her but my hand has been forced! So she is in a fresh room on a brand new mattress tonight!

I'm also sort of upset that we were doing soooo well keeping the heating off and just layering up. We hadn't had it on yet and were aiming for November before having to put it on but now we'll have it on for an hour and a half morning and evening just to keep the house mould free! However that is inconsequential compared to my childrens wellbeing even if it will cost us lots of ££££££

I voiced my concerns last year on the thread that focussed on keeping the heating off for as long as possible. The very young, ill and old are very vulnerable to the cold and houses should be maintained at reasonable temperatures and with a baby until the age of 1 its good practice to have a thermometer where the baby sleeps. With layering the baby is likely to become overheated and if kicks off her covers underheated which can contribute to SIDs.