Consumer Reports, who I usually respect, has come out with a list of 5 things that you shouldn't buy for your baby. Among them were co-sleepers and slings, stating that these items are dangerous, and even mentioned babies that have died when parents used them improperly. So they have stated that no parent should buy them at all. They didn't say a thing about all the babies that have died in cribs!
They went as far as to state that the safest place for a baby to sleep is in a crib. Evidence-based information will tell otherwise. No where did they mentioned having the crib in the same room as the mother, as this decreases the chances of the baby dying of SIDS. Not to mention for every 87 babies that dies of SIDS, only 3 breastfed babies will die of SIDS. I believe that FORMULA should top that Consumer Reports list.
And the slings... Oh my. I don't even know if this ridiculous claim that they are unsafe is worth addressing, and yet, we can't let it go! They claim that 4 babies over the last 5 years have died due to "skull fractures, head injuries, contusions and abrasions. Most occurred when the child fell out of the sling." Because of 4 babies dying, they are saying that no one should buy a sling? While this certainly is a tragedy, and I do not want to take away from that, the parents I sell slings to are obsessed with making sure they feel secure with their baby in the sling. I have NEVER had a baby fall out of the sling -- not even come close. I have seen, however, babies flip out of car seats when the handle was not locked and the baby wasn't buckled. Accidents happen. Maybe these parents had a faulty, poorly-made brand. Maybe the parents were not shown how to properly use their sling.
For the benefits of babywearing, you can read more about what I have written on this topic.
As for the credibility of Consumer Reports, I do really love my very reliable Toyota Sienna with almost 208,000 miles. They said it was a solid, "reliable" car. At least they got something right.
No comments: