To be utterly annoyed that things are sold for babies that aren't advised??

[minniemummy0]

I'm expecting my first baby soon. I'm 35 and consider myself fairly intelligent, and I've not been completely sheltered from babies, I've got a niece and nephew.

But honestly, it annoys me so much finding out that things available freely are potentially harmful. The two examples I can specifically think of are cot bumpers and walkers.

Even at the Mamas and Papas baby event I went to, the gentlemen who gave a talk on sleeping, which wasn't essentially an advert for their own products, said the bumper was for show and not safe for baby, and even when they are older could be used as a leg up to get out of the cot, so still not really safe.

And then now I read in another thread tonight that baby walkers stunt baby's development! What the heck! Why are they even sold?! I thought they helped baby to start walking safely! I was obviously wrong but can you honestly blame someone for presuming that?! It seems not something that would ever have occurred to me!

Aibu to think you should be able to presume baby related items are safe, and not damaging to baby, and if they are they shouldn't be bloody sold?!!!

What about grobags? They seem fine but just wondering if anyone has come across any problems or safety issues. Just bought one but could take it back if needs be.

I remember a massive row about car seats too kitty. We had our eldest in one when they were very new to the uk. I think only a choice of 3 available and from one shop in Milton Keynes.

In laws and practically every one j knew thought I was completely insane. They are available everywhere now. SIL is pregnant... am very interested to see what type of car seat she buys!

Rear facing I meant to say!

I remember having really bad chapped lips one Winter, so I put some Johnson & Johnson's baby lotion on them. It hurt and stung so bad my eyes watered. And people use it on a baby's sore bum...

On the other hand I remember a huge pile of strange and malicious crap circulating around the internet for YEARS stating that for eg that J&J baby shampoo had local anaesthetic in it, which is why it was 'no tears'. There seemed to be a really concerted campaign to discredit the company and its products. I think that this is still going on to a certain extent - a quick google will tell you all you need to know about their ingredients, but it seems easier to to repeat stuff without doing your own research.

This is madness.

I wouldn't have been able to lift mine out of his cot without a dropside. When he was bigger I could have left him in a walker I suppose, but...

Walkers? Disastrous indeed if the baby tipped himself down the stairs in one, but how many twenty-somethings are there who can't walk because they were put in one?

How many adults are now unable to talk because they had dummies?

I hate cot bumpers. They don't seem common sense not to use them for everyone - they come in a pack of 'essentials' from 'trusted' shops like mothercare and it looks like they will protect a babies soft head. But I read the story too about the poor baby that died after being tangled and it was so sad. Why can't they just ban them.
I had a big online argument with some stupid woman about it who told me 'it was a nanny state health and safety gone mad and her children had them and were all fine'

Baby bjorn arent ideal particularly for babies with existing hip problems and facing out isn't recommended for more than 20mins if baby is happy but the most dangerous slings are bag slings where a baby's airway is restricted as they are carried in a slumped position across the body. Not seen too often but very dangerous

Madness to protect babies who can't protect themselves when new research or learning from tragedies come out computer?
Noone has said adults can't talk because of dummies they said dummy clips with small beads are a choking and strangulation risk

Gosh if you follow absolutely every guideline to the letter you'd never leave the sofa. For example I've a spring baby, it's now summer and hot and sunny. The guidelines say: under 6 months no sun cream and out of sunlight, also don't cover your pram with a muslin as they over heat (fair enough), also don't have a blanket or too much clothes as they overheat. I've mad the decision to leave the house this summer with baby in pram.
Hat on head, suncream on limbs. Created a canopy (not a cover) with a muslin going from pram hood to handle so leaving 3 open sides for airflow but creating shade. But I'm still critised for every decision.

Do what's right for you and your baby while keeping them as safe as possible.

J&J products don't 'cause' eczema. Nobody is exactly sure what causes eczema.

Certain products can trigger a flare-up but these are different for everyone. Marketing something as 'gentle' then putting a high price tag on it (hello Aveeno) doesn't mean it won't cause a flare-up.

FWIW I've had extremely bad eczema for my whole life. I can use J&J products with minimal itching. Aveeno causes my skin to blister. In fact, so does water which is about as 'gentle' as you can get.

Babies don't need any bath products at all. They don't even really need shampoo very often. For the first six months mine have all been washed with a flannel in plain water with a quick shampoo every week or two.

It is impossible to eliminate all risk, Hmm

I mention dummies because for a while they were absolutely condemned as preventing children's speech development. Crappy, beaded dummy clips - revile away.

Does anyone know what cot bumpers are not ok but Moses baskets are, even though they also seem to have padded fabric all around the edge? I thought they were unsafe because of suffocation risk if the baby pressed their face into it but surely that would be Moses baskets too? Only thought of it because I was looking at the co-sleeper cribs (Chicco next to me etc) and they all seem to have a padded fabric side too?

What's the issue with Dopplers?

I'm used a walker for both my dc. Our rules were older dc couldn't push younger one. Never used upstairs and not used for longer than 20 mins. Neither of my dc walked on their tip toes or had hip problems. My niece used a walker, walked on her tip toes till she was four. My nephew used a walker walked on tip toes but was diagnosed with asd when he was 5..

Link to the lullaby Trust from a few years ago crabbo.
The main concerns are once a baby is rolling so they are out of a moses basket by then, as they can become tangled in the bumper or strangled with the cord.

www.lullabytrust.org.uk/parents-should-remove-cot-bumpers/

Just an anecdote but... DD had a sit in walker. She walked at average age despite having, as we later found out, cerebral palsy. Which is pretty amazing. Who knows whether the walker helped but it certainly doesn't seem to have held her back.

OKPedro home dopplers can cause false positive type results or indeed false no reading results. Parents are not trained midwives and it's not routinely checked equipment so can give a fake reading which in the least upsetting scenario causes a lot of unnecessary stress.
Any pregnant woman noticing a change in movements (a change not even a reduction) needs to contact their local hospital / midwife Base

it is annoying that many women don't do thorough research into things before buying

Is it not annoying when men do it?

And LOL at fabric wraps being a 'modern fad'. They're one of the oldest methods of transporting babies! Or did you think people were pushing Bugaboos round in Elizabethan times?

I don't think it's fair to berate parents for buying stuff as most people assume that being able to buy it in the first place means it's safe.

Thanks hmm
I've never used a home Doppler. I had reduced movement when I was pregnant with my ds and went straight to hospital. I can imagine many women trusting the doppler when they should actually go to hospital

Anything sold in pound land has to conform to UK standards no matter where it's made. Anything sold from a proper business in the UK has to or they can be fined. Even when shops have the imported stuff they cant sell it if it has banned ingredients etc.

One problem many people aren't aware of is that if you're buying stuff online e.g. on eBay or amazon, or independent sites, if it's coming from outside the UK (especially outside the EU) THEN it doesn't have to conform to local standards. There's so much crap sold online which comes direct from China etc which is potentially totally unsafe.

Children's dressing up clothes are classes as toys rather than clothing so don't have to meet flame retardant guidelines and are often made from flammable materials.

Weaning foods sold with 'from 4 months' printed on them.

Ds loved his walker,only ever used for very short periods of time and only at my dad's where it was all on one level. Bumpers on the other hand shouldn't be on sale imo.

I disagree with the home Doppler argument. I lost a baby through missed miscarriage and the only way I kept going through my second pregnancy was listening to my baby when I was having a hard time. Having said that I researched a lot about them, could clearly tell the difference between my heart beat, the babies and the sound of the placenta. I also knew that it wasn't uncommon to not be able to find the baby for a few days, so I didn't let this stress me out. As soon as I started to feel movements I no longer used the Doppler.

When people use them as reassurance when the baby isn't moving as much that is dangerous. However whenever I felt reduced movements I always went to the MAU to get checked. If you are sensible they are perfectly safe to use as long as you understand how to.

I have no issue with johnsons baby products (apart from I won't use talc) and my LO gets on fine with them - and she smells lovely ha ha.

There are guidelines about everything and most of this stuff is a matter of knowing the risks and using them appropriately - ie bath seats and drowning etc. Some thing I do agree should be banned, like cot bumpers - there is no safe way to use them but a lot of the time parents aren't being unsafe if they chose to use a certain product. For example the pp who said people have their children in car seats too long when they are used on the pram. Hasn't it occurred to you that maybe they have driven somewhere and are just nipping to a shop within the recommended time frame? That's what I do. If we go on a long walk then I take the carrycot instead.

I agree that there needs to be a serious review of safety standards on baby equipment as people assume that they must be safe.

SIL and BIL put nephew in a forward facing seat at 5 months old because he had reached 9kg. I protested and told them about what the forces in a collision can do to babies' necks (including internal decapitation) but they both insited that it was fine because the manual said it was, and it was a 'good brand'.

You can never remove all risk, but you can reduce it as much as possible.

Also yes, you can safely use certain items like bumbos with a bit of common sense. The problem is that not everyone has common sense!

For example the pp who said people have their children in car seats too long when they are used on the pram. Hasn't it occurred to you that maybe they have driven somewhere and are just nipping to a shop within the recommended time frame?

That was me, and yes, of course I know it's sometimes appropriate to use the seat in that way. But, I see people using it in settings where I do not think that's the case. For example, on long designated walking paths, on public transit, long sessions in coffee shops, etc. I'm not out there with my stopwatch but it does seem like many people keep their infants in car seats longer than is now recommended. I'm not judging anyone for that at all, my point is that the information about car seat safety should be better and more widely communicated.

YABslightlyU but it's understandable first time parent stuff.

I decide what to use for my DC and in what way. Some advice is over cautious. Not all advice has a strong evidence base. Some items and practices are quite finely balanced in terms of arguments for and against.

The NCT bedside cot is a great example; Absolutely safe if used as per the instructions. The concern after that awful tragedy was that it was too easy for other parents to similarly use it incorrectly if second hand cribs didn't come with the instructions. My own position is that I am perfectly well aware how to use one safely and would like to continue to use one.

Similarly, the rules for making up bottles changed at some point between my DC2 and DC3. I have my own views on individual aspects of the guidance and will act accordingly.

I also reserve the right to use cot bumpers from 6 months but I am careful about materials and stiffness.

And so on.

The most important thing is always to be thinking and open minded and critically engaging with new information.

SerfTerf
Please google justice for Preston. Sorry I can't post a link. He was about 9 months old when strangled by his cot bumper.
There is NO such thing as a safe cot bumper. At any age. No matter what they're made of.

and yes it is annoying that many women don't do thorough research into things before buying

Why would you be annoyed by someone else's choices? How do you know that they haven't researched anyway? Are you assuming that because they've arrived at different conclusions to you?

This culture of judging other people's parenting is toxic. Look after your own babies and let other people look after theirs