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9 of 10 parents placing infants in danger at bedtime, study shows
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Despite repeated warnings from experts in recent years, an overwhelming majority of parents are still putting their babies to sleep with bedding that could prove fatal. - photo by Jessica Ivins
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. Despite repeated warnings from experts in recent years, an overwhelming majority of parents are still putting their babies to sleep with bedding that could prove fatal.

Thats according to a new study out of Penn State University, which revealed a whopping 91 percent of infant cribs contain bumpers, sleep positioners, stuffed animals, loose blankets and other items that pose significant danger.

The study published this week in the journal Pediatrics also revealed that 14 percent of parent participants placed their babies on their sides or stomachs instead of on their backs. This number was particularly surprising to researchers, considering the American Academy of Pediatrics first recommended back sleeping in 1992.

"Parents don't think it's going to happen to them, study author and Penn States chief of general pediatrics, Dr. Ian M. Paul, told Today.

Unsafe sleeping environments increase the risk of suffocation the most common cause of death in babies under the age of 1. Accidental suffocation and strangulation claim the lives of 3,500 babies each year, according to the U.S. Department of Health.

For the study, Paul and his team were granted permission to set up video cameras in the nurseries of more than 160 homes. They recorded the infants three separate times over the course of the first year once at 1 month, then at 3 months and again at 6 months.

Watching the video back, researchers noted what items were in the crib at the same time as the baby, as well as how the baby was placed into the bed.

They found that up to a fifth of the infants were placed on a potentially dangerous surface, up to 33 percent were positioned on their bellies or sides and nearly 93 percent slept with items that could lead to suffocation.

The study involved a high percentage of educated mothers, something that alerted researchers to a need for more specific instruction.

This is a group of people youd assume have access to resources and knowledge and are still not following the advice, Elizabeth Murray, a pediatrician at Golisano Childrens Hospital at the University of Rochester, told USA Today.

The ideal sleep environment for an infant is a bed with just the baby and their clothing absolutely nothing else, Paul said.

Perhaps we have to make it even simpler, Paul told USA Today. We need to be extremely clear and unambiguous in our advice and we need to make sure we model safe sleep environment when babies are in the hospital.

Paul also issued a reminder that infants tend to move on their own during their sleep, so even if you put your child on his or her back, its important to keep in mind that they could knock over a pillow, stuffed animal or blanket nearby.
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How to avoid 'sharenting' and other paparazzi parenting habits
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A recent study revealed parents often spend up to two hours staging a single photo of his or her child to post online. - photo by Amy Iverson
Before having kids, some people just dont appreciate their friends baby posts. But after having a child of their own, three fourths of new parents jump right on the parental social media bandwagon. If you have become a member of this group, there are some rules to follow for posting responsibly.

Much of a parents worry is how to teach their children to use social media responsibly. We talk with our kids about privacy, oversharing, and setting restrictions on their devices to keep them safe. But parents themselves need to look in the digital mirror once in a while. Before having children, it doesnt take as much effort to think about what to post online. Its up to us to decide what we share about our own lives. But once you become a parent, there are many questions to think about regarding what is appropriate to post about your kids on social media.

In a recent survey, kids clothing subscription company Mac and Mia surveyed 2000 new parents to find out how they are documenting their kids lives on social media, and what concerns they may have.

First of all, people without children seem to feel a bit differently about the onslaught of baby pictures online than those who are parents. 18 percent of people say before they had kids, they were annoyed by their friends baby posts. But after having children of their own, 73 percent admit they post progress pictures of their little ones every single month.

Not only are new parents letting the world know each time their baby is a month older, but they are posting about their kids every few days or so. Men and women report they post 6-7 times per month about their baby.

And while 70 percent of new parents say the benefit of using social media is how easy it is to help family and friends feel involved, there are some downsides. Here are a few tips to avoid the pitfall of becoming paparazzi parents.

Dont miss the moment

In the Mac and Mia survey, some parents admitted to spending up to two hours to get the perfect shot of their baby. That seems a little extreme. New and old parents alike should be careful about spending so much time taking pictures and videos that they dont enjoy the moment. Years ago, I decided to never live an experience through my phone. A study by Linda Henkel, a psychology professor at Fairfield University in Connecticut, found that when people took pictures of objects in an art museum, they didnt remember the objects as well as if they simply observed them.

This photo-taking impairment effect can happen to parents as well. If we are so consumed by getting the perfect photo, we can miss out on the moment all together, and our memory of it will suffer.

Dont forget about privacy

60 percent of couples say they have discussed rules and boundaries for posting their babys photos, according to the Mac and Mia survey. Even so, men are 34 percent more likely to publish baby posts on public accounts. If parents are concerned about their childrens privacy, keeping photos off of public accounts is a given.

In the Washington Post, Stacey Steinberg, a legal skills professor at the University of Florida, and Bahareh Keith, a Portland pediatrician, wrote that sharing too much information about kids online puts them at risk. They write that all that sharenting can make it easier for data thieves to target out kids for identity theft. Check that your privacy settings are where they should be and never share identifying information like full names and birth dates.

Dont be paparazzi parents

36 percent of parents say they take issue when their childs photo is posted online by someone else. Responsible social media users will always ask permission before posting a photo of another child. But parents should also think about whether their own children will take issue with their own posted photos a few years down the road.

When parents are constantly snapping pictures and throwing them on social media, it can be easy to forget to pause and make sure the post is appropriate. I always use the billboard example with my kids. I ask them to picture whatever they are posting going up on a billboard in our neighborhood. If they are okay with that, then their post is probably fine. Parents should ask themselves this same question when posting about their children. But they should also ask themselves if their child would be OK with this post on a billboard in 15 years. If it would cause embarrassment or humiliation, it might be best to keep it private.

Once children reach an appropriate age, parents should include them in the process of deciding what pictures are OK to post. Researchers at the University of Michigan surveyed 10- to 17-year-olds and found children believe their parents should ask permission more than parents think they should. The kids in the survey said sharing happy family moments, or accomplishments in sports, school and hobbies is fine. But when the post is negative (like when a child is disciplined) or embarrassing (think naked baby pictures or messy hair), kids say to keep it off social media.
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