Could my daughter be allergic to something in her mattress?

shabbatiscoming

Tue, Apr 05 2011, 1:39 pm

My daughter started sleeping in a bed last friday (yeah!!!! Smile

)
Since probably sunday night, she can be in bed for about 20 - 30 minutes and she starts coughing. Its a dry sounding cough.
Her mattress is foam. We bought the bed frame and mattress from someone who did not need the bed anymore.
Is there such a thing as an allergy to foam? Or can anyone think of something else?
I dont think that its an actual cold or anything. Other than in her bed she is not coughing.

Any thoughts? ideas?

shabbatiscoming

Tue, Apr 05 2011, 2:01 pm

mommy3 wrote:

Is there dust on the matress, especially an older one? Did the people have a cat or dog? Perhaps she has a pet allergy you are unaware of.

How would I know if there was dust on the mattress? Meaning, from what I could see on the mattress it was clean. It was on their bed for about a year. It was not very old.
I do not think that they had a pet.

shabbatiscoming

Tue, Apr 05 2011, 2:02 pm

ra_mom wrote:

First of all, congrats on this milestone! Smile

I think there very well could be an allergen in a there. The mattresses was probably exposed to things that are affecting your daughter.

So, how can I find out? Or is this a situation where I just go and buy a new mattress?
The bed frame is wooden, could there be an allergy to that?

ra_mom

Tue, Apr 05 2011, 2:23 pm

shabbatiscoming wrote:

ra_mom wrote:

First of all, congrats on this milestone! Smile

I think there very well could be an allergen in a there. The mattresses was probably exposed to things that are affecting your daughter.

So, how can I find out? Or is this a situation where I just go and buy a new mattress?
The bed frame is wooden, could there be an allergy to that?

It's more likely to be something in the mattress. But you never know. Have you tried taking a real sniff into the exposed mattress? Does it smell musty? Give you any clues?
How about the wooden bed frame?
Can you get a full zippered mattress protector, and see if it helps? If it does, you'll know what you are dealing with?

(I have very bad environmental allergies, due to exposure to unhealthy elements a couple of years back, so I try to be extra careful with these things. I am very fearful of exposing myself or my family, because I am suffering the consequences.)

shabbatiscoming

Tue, Apr 05 2011, 2:28 pm

ra_mom wrote:

shabbatiscoming wrote:

ra_mom wrote:

First of all, congrats on this milestone! Smile

I think there very well could be an allergen in a there. The mattresses was probably exposed to things that are affecting your daughter.

So, how can I find out? Or is this a situation where I just go and buy a new mattress?
The bed frame is wooden, could there be an allergy to that?

I guess in the morning I will smell the mattress.
Would you just get a new mattress?
What kind of store would you get a mattress protector from?

ra_mom

Tue, Apr 05 2011, 2:37 pm

shabbatiscoming wrote:

ra_mom wrote:

shabbatiscoming wrote:

ra_mom wrote:

First of all, congrats on this milestone! Smile

I think there very well could be an allergen in a there. The mattresses was probably exposed to things that are affecting your daughter.

So, how can I find out? Or is this a situation where I just go and buy a new mattress?
The bed frame is wooden, could there be an allergy to that?

I guess in the morning I will smell the mattress.
Would you just get a new mattress?
What kind of store would you get a mattress protector from?

I probably would get a new mattress. But would try to figure out first where the allergen is coming from. (Hope it's not the bed frame too.)

You can probably pick up a mattress at a dry goods store?

shabbatiscoming

Tue, Apr 05 2011, 2:43 pm

ra_mom wrote:

shabbatiscoming wrote:

ra_mom wrote:

shabbatiscoming wrote:

ra_mom wrote:

First of all, congrats on this milestone! Smile

I think there very well could be an allergen in a there. The mattresses was probably exposed to things that are affecting your daughter.

So, how can I find out? Or is this a situation where I just go and buy a new mattress?
The bed frame is wooden, could there be an allergy to that?

I guess in the morning I will smell the mattress.
Would you just get a new mattress?
What kind of store would you get a mattress protector from?

I probably would get a new mattress. But would try to figure out first where the allergen is coming from. (Hope it's not the bed frame too.)

You can probably pick up a mattress at a dry goods store?

did you mean a mattress protector? And what is a dry goods store? Like a supermarket?

ra_mom

Tue, Apr 05 2011, 2:58 pm

shabbatiscoming wrote:

ra_mom wrote:

shabbatiscoming wrote:

ra_mom wrote:

shabbatiscoming wrote:

ra_mom wrote:

First of all, congrats on this milestone! Smile

I think there very well could be an allergen in a there. The mattresses was probably exposed to things that are affecting your daughter.

So, how can I find out? Or is this a situation where I just go and buy a new mattress?
The bed frame is wooden, could there be an allergy to that?

I guess in the morning I will smell the mattress.
Would you just get a new mattress?
What kind of store would you get a mattress protector from?

I probably would get a new mattress. But would try to figure out first where the allergen is coming from. (Hope it's not the bed frame too.)

You can probably pick up a mattress at a dry goods store?

did you mean a mattress protector? And what is a dry goods store? Like a supermarket?

Yes, sorry. I meant a mattress protector.
I don't think you'd be able to find it at a supermarket. More like a (dry goods) store that sells cloth diapers, undershirts, matress proctectors, etc. Or a home store (think Israeli version of Bed Bath and Beyond, Target, etc.)

amother

Tue, Apr 05 2011, 2:58 pm

you can try vaccuming the mattress. it may get out the dust or whatever is inside.
but if there is mold or mildew deep inside, she could very well be allergic to it, and you wont be able to get it out.

did you know that a new study found that sids may be caused from fumes coming from the crib mattress?

shabbatiscoming

Tue, Apr 05 2011, 3:55 pm

amother wrote:

great idea Smile

except we dont even own a vacuum.

Kayza

Tue, Apr 05 2011, 8:57 pm

shabbatiscoming wrote:

[So, how can I find out? Or is this a situation where I just go and buy a new mattress?
The bed frame is wooden, could there be an allergy to that?

It could be either - people can be allergic to the strangest things. What was her crib made of?

To test for mattress, get a plastic sheet - or better yet, on of those sheets designed to enclose the entire mattress- they are made for people who have an allergy to mites, that could be living in the mattress. If there is something in the mattress, this should take care of it.

allrgymama

Wed, Apr 06 2011, 8:16 am

Um. Perhaps the first and easiest thing to do is take your daughter to a doctor and make sure that she isn't sick with something that just happened to happen at the same time that you got the new mattress?

I spent all last summer going nuts with my (food-allergic) daughter's diet because of absolutely ridiculous eczema that wouldn't let up and it turned out to be weather-related. As soon as the weather stopped changing, her eczema cleared up and I drove myself (and my family) insane for no reason.

Of course, it could be an allergy, but it's always best to eliminate the simple things first.

Edit: Also, before you go out and spend money on things, put her back into her old bed/crib and see if the cough goes away. Simplest diagnoses ever. Because if it is the mattress and you get rid of it, you'll have spent money on a mattress protector that you no longer need.

Kayza

Wed, Apr 06 2011, 9:01 am

allrgymama wrote:

Edit: Also, before you go out and spend money on things, put her back into her old bed/crib and see if the cough goes away. Simplest diagnoses ever. Because if it is the mattress and you get rid of it, you'll have spent money on a mattress protector that you no longer need.

Good point about the crib, if she still has it.

However, if it is the mattress, the mattress protector should work. That's why I suggested it.

o'mom

Wed, Apr 06 2011, 9:09 am

Many linen stores sell zippered mattress covers specifically designed for this reason. It has a sealed (plastic-like) lining which prevents dust mites from getting through; the outside is soft material like any other sheet, so your daughter won't feel the difference. Since the day I started using this, my allergies almost vanished. Give it a try!

shabbatiscoming

Wed, Apr 06 2011, 9:45 am

allrgymama wrote:
Um. Perhaps the first and easiest thing to do is take your daughter to a doctor and make sure that she isn't sick with something that just happened to happen at the same time that you got the new mattress? The reason why I thought she may be allergic to the mattress is because when my daughter is sick with a cold or a cough she does mostly cough in bed but she still coughs out of her bed some too.

I spent all last summer going nuts with my (food-allergic) daughter's diet because of absolutely ridiculous eczema that wouldn't let up and it turned out to be weather-related. As soon as the weather stopped changing, her eczema cleared up and I drove myself (and my family) insane for no reason.

Of course, it could be an allergy, but it's always best to eliminate the simple things first.If it were only that simple to make an appointment at the doctor. but that is a good idea.

Edit: Also, before you go out and spend money on things, put her back into her old bed/crib and see if the cough goes away. Simplest diagnoses ever. Because if it is the mattress and you get rid of it, you'll have spent money on a mattress protector that you no longer need. We took apart the crib, so this option is not one for us. I am not going to put it back together and there is no room to put it together again anyway.

Yocheved84

Wed, Apr 06 2011, 9:53 am

shabbatiscoming wrote:

My daughter started sleeping in a bed last friday (yeah!!!! Smile

Put a rubber (or is it plastic?) covering on it, and also buy her the allergy/dust-proof sheets, blanket, and pillow. . See if that helps. Maybe the home it came from was dusty.

allrgymama

Wed, Apr 06 2011, 10:09 am

That being the case, you should definitely go out and get a mattress protector.

If that helps, I would also recommend going to the allergist to determine what precisely it is in the mattress she's allergic to and how server the allergy is (some people need inhalers and whatnot for environmental allergies).

chocolate moose

Wed, Apr 06 2011, 10:19 am

I'm going through "something" myself and I'm not sure what it is. It's presenting as an itch, not a cough, although that doesn't necessarily mean anything; it just means that by me, my skin is sensitive and by your daughter, it's presenting as cough. When I had whopping cough, afterwards for years I coughed whenever I was stressed, tired, etc. I got over that, BH.

Anyway, on the suspician that it might be dust mites, I put my pillow in the dryer for 20 minutes on high, changed all the bedding, and flipped my mattress.

Doesn't seem to be helping.

Try to think outside the box. Foods or drinks. Lotions. What has changed lately ?