September is Baby Sleep Safety Month…

Baby Sleep Safety Basics

Baby Sleep Safety is an important topic for expecting and new parents. It is often a concern. Often new parents wonder if their baby is breathing. When babies are in deep sleep, breathing is very regular. Thus, baby may appear at times as if she is not breathing.

This if where technology comes into the picture with many promises to worried parents.

Yet, the lesson is to “Stick to the Basics“. Keep in Safe. Keep in Simple : Baby should ALWAYS sleep on her back on a firm mattress (no bumper, blankets, pillows  or stuff animals). The risk of SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome) is a reality: every parent should be informed onthe most effective measures to prevent SIDS.

As we see new devices, apps, and products available on the market the rate of SIDS does not decrease with the use fo technology. Devices monitor baby’s sleep patterns, heart rate, and oxygen levels. Understandably, you may think that this device is the perfect tool. At the same time baby stores display beautiful cribs with bumpers, pillows, and stuff animals… The same store sells the same parents the most recent monitor for “safety” and the most ABSOLUTELY contra-indicated crib’s equipment: bed linens, decor, bumpers for the baby’s crib. It sounds very misleading and conflicting.

How to increase Baby Sleep Safety ?

The safest way for a baby to sleep is on his/her back on a firm mattress, without anything else. Baby should sleep in her parents’room for the first year. Breastfeeding is also recommended to reduce SIDS. Keeping the room at a cold temperature, providing a pacifier at sleep time are additional measures.

Baby Sleep Safety and technology ?

With a monitoring device, information is available at any time from any location. It is supposed to reassure anxious new parents by providing instantaneous feedback on their baby’s sleep and breathing. But this is actually more stressful. It creates more anxiety. In addition, it creates addiction. Understandably, parents check at all times what their baby is doing in the middle of the day or night. Not only are new moms already sleep deprived but now their sleep quality is also disrupted by screen time. New moms’ sleep is already very disrupted. They do not need more awake time in the middle of the night.

In addition, I found the article below very interesting about Baby Safety.

Baby Sleep Safety :an interesting article

I read an interesting article few weeks ago in the New York Timeshttps://parenting.nytimes.com/childrens-health/owlet-baby-monitor on the use of the “Owlet Smart Sock” baby monitor in their Parenting section.

Baby Sleep Safety : what the experts say about monitors?

The emerging market of smartphone-integrated infant physiologic monitors” was published in January 2017 and JAMA found that there are no medical indications for such use. There is no evidence that these products have any life-saving capabilities. Instead, there is a potential for harm if they are used by families.

Baby Sleep Safety

Keep it simple to keep your baby safe.