To worry about the safety of baby headbands?

[CatThiefKeith]

A few women in my friendship group and/or with children in dd's class have had baby daughters recently, and have all been putting flowers and bows on their babies heads. They have all been bought from a local seller on FB I believe.

AIBU to worry that:

1. They may not conform to safety standards and therefore pose a choking risk and

1. It will be 30 degrees here by Monday, the poor little mites might overheat.

Headbands are similar too, but slightly larger than the ones shown.

DS's nursery doesn't allow cloth headbands at all - they class them as a risk.

I think as long as they aren't too tight and you keep a close eye on the baby, it won't be a safety risk - has anyone actually come across any real life examples of strangulation/overheating? They've been around a while. I can see having one on all day might be unwise, but popping one on for photos....what's the harm if you watch them carefully?

I do think some of you are being a little miserable. I'm not a huge fan of having to make baby girls look "feminine" and the modern obsession with blue and pink etc....but maybe people just enjoy putting their babies in things they think look cute? Like when I dressed my 18 month old son in a little bowtie for a wedding a few years back? Or choosing a funky print for my daughters leggings? It's just personal preference and I do think there's a bit of snobbery going on.

Personally I think they look a little ridiculous, especially on bald babies, but if someone wants to that's their prerogative. I've seen ones with little bunches/pigtails attached- just google "Bebe Doos". They look ridiculous.

I'm going to be chuckling all night at the scud missile tucked behind the ear comment.

I can't wear headbands because they give me a headache; why would anyone do that to a baby?

I hate them for several reasons:

1. They must be a choking hazard if they slip in e.g. Bed, car seat.

1. They look like a pain to keep on a baby.

1. They look tacky, cheap and horrid. I'd be annoyed if anyone put my daughter in one.

The other day I saw a woman in town pushing a beautiful baby girl of about 7/8 months in a buggy, she had put one of these on her baby, the flower was so ridiculously big and she had placed it so the flower was on the babus forehead, the poor little girl couldn't see the flower was practically covering her eyes and son of her nose even my DH was shocked and he hardly notices any thing! I hate them I think they're tacky tat

some not son...

I don't think is a risk, but it just looks ridiculous

I saw a baby of about a year old sitting in her front facing pram with her headband over her eyes it was like a blindfold. The poor little mite was shaking her head back and fore to try and dislodge it and was pulling at it and it was smacking her in the face. I told her mother who didn't know what was happening up front.

They must be classed as a strangulation hazard if you were to leave baby unsupervised with one.
But I also don't like them as they look uncomfortable. I actually saw a tiny little baby wearing one at a wedding recently, she must've had it on for hours. Later in the afternoon when I saw her again the parents had taken it off and there was a visible red line round her skull, like when you keep a hairband on your wrist. babies heads are so soft it seems so wrong to squeeze it like that.

Thanks woahslow

What about pp whose paediatrician told her they can damage the soft skull plates, and cause them to fuse incorrectly? That doesn't bother you?

Doesn't bother me because a)I don't believe any dr said that and b) its not actually possible. At all.

Choking risk? How do you choke on a large headband on your head? And no, a baby can't overheat because a small portion of their head is covered in fabric.

They are fucking ugly, no need to make up any other ridiculous objections to them.

They make babies look like boiled eggs - ridiculous things - and they do not seem safe to put on a baby any more than a scarf would be.

A paediatrician once told me that preauricular pits are purely cosmetic and of no medical significance. When in fact, preauricular pits in a newborn who's just failed the newborn hearing screening ought to trigger a renal ultrasound at the very least and probably an urgent (rather than routine) referral to audiology for a retest.

Months later a consultant took down his details in order to send him for re-education (which I'm hoping wasn't as Orwellian as it sounds).

I don't particularly like headbands; I'm not a fan of gender stereotyping in babies and I think most babies are cute enough without ornamentation (disclaimer: obviously and in violation of all the laws of chance I had the world's most attractive babies, so ymmv ). So I haven't put them on any of my children; don't really care what anyone else does. But I think fretting about health and safety is taking things a bit far.

YANBU

I personally hate any sort of headband on a baby...why?!

What is the point it's not as if they are there to keep hair out of their eyes etc & would worry about them slipping down and being around their neck.

I think they look ridiculous...it makes me laugh when the baby keeps pulling it off their heads with the mum trying to put it back on!

Honestly, if I was having a baby girl- I would not welcome any pink shite or bloody headbands!!

Let's face it this was a judgey thread aimed at what they look like masqueraded by concern. If they were that unsafe I'm sure we would have heard about it by now! The papers would have been all over it.... How about you stop caring about what other people babies look like and just concern yourself with your own?! If I had a girl I would love to do girly things with her like this, pigtails and bows. What I wouldn't love is someone judging me for it. As parents we have so much more to worry about, why make eachother feel more judged by something this silly?! I'm sure there are some of us that would look at the way your kids are dressed and think Jesus Christ, did they dress themselves today? But we wouldn't particularly care enough to post and act as if it's a concern. If a hat doesn't overheat you why would a headband?! Leave other parents alone for god sake and unless there is a genuine concern like abuse.... Something serious butt out! If there are studies, an actual incident or something like that THEN you can judge. But don't act concerned when really all your doing is judging what another parent feels looks pretty on their little girl.

Hate them, babies don't need decorations, they're beautiful as they are. These headbands are tat at best but you're right, complete safety hazard as well.

They are VILE, that's all you need to worry about.

YANBU. I can't see any benefit to the baby in wearing one of those.

I agree with OP...the flower and band could pose a choking risk..The band itself, or the one I saw, is incredibly soft, not tight, and wouldn't feel like pressure..but the flower is a choking risk I would think, and how it's fastened to the band, and if the petals come loose.
I haven't had them for my children, but I would advise caution and only for a older baby with full supervision.
I have to agree diamante dummy holders, and amber necklaces/bracelets for babies are extremely dangerous choke hazards..more so because the Diamante are just glued on, and elastic necklaces and bracelets will snap and the beads be swallowed..

I watched Living on Benefits tonight on Ch 5. One young baby had one of those pink band things around her head. It looked uncomfortable.

I rest my case...

A it's been a while since came up

Has the C word been used yet ?

And I did not need to look that far ! The post just before me too