While we are talking about attachment parenting and babywearing, Consumer Reports just published an article, “Five Products Not To Buy For Your Baby“. Included in the list are bassinets or co-sleepers, baby bath seats, sleep positioners, crib bumper pads and sling carriers.
Read the article closely. Look how many deaths were associated with slings. FOUR deaths in FIVE years. Baby bath seats? An average of TEN deaths a YEAR. And, the article states that “Nearly all of those deaths occurred when a parent or caregiver left the baby unattended momentarily”. So, why should we blame the product?
We personally used a bassinet until Haven was around four months old. Having her right beside our bed was not only reassuring, but incredibly convenient whenever she needed to nurse or have her diaper changed in the middle of the night. (For the record, having your baby in the same room is considered co-sleeping. Having your baby in bed with you is called bedsharing. So, technically, you could have your baby in her crib in your room and safely co-sleep). And, as you are probably already aware, we have several slings we use (and will continue to use). If you interview most any new parent, many will tell you that one, or both, of these items helped make naps and/or nighttime sleep possible. In my non-professional opinion, a well rested baby and parent make for a safer environment, regardless of what “dangerous” contraptions lurk in your house.
I am a huge fan of Consumer Reports. I have an online subscription and check their ratings for everything from car seats to laundry detergent. But, those are all products they can put through vigorous testing. They wouldn’t dare say such things about Lysol (or another flammable cleaning product) knowing full well it can be inhaled or used at a pyrotechnic show* in college dorm room, would they? Or, Ziploc bags, knowing full well that infants can suffocate on them? Or, hot dogs, because some kid choked on them? I could go on and on.
When I was pregnant, I wanted to get the safest products available for my child. However, even the top car seat manufacturers have had a recall of some sort, and they are still safe car seats. There’s a 46% increase risk of asthma in babies who take acetaminophen. Some researchers are linking childhood leukemia with paint use. In other words, we just need to be diligent. As a parent, I think it is best to stay informed and routinely check the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CSPC) and Juvenile Product Manufacturer’s Association (JPMA) when making purchases.
* For those inquiring minds who want to know…in college, I attended an impromptu pyrotechnic show in a dorm room, which involved Lysol, a lighter and (drum roll, please) an oscilating fan for special effects. How we all lived to tell about it, is beyond me.