Recently, some debate has been regarding weighted sleep sacks/blankets for babies. The truth is there is not sufficient evidence to prove these are safe. Manufacturers of these products state that in their private studies, their product is secure, and they list it as meeting safety standards. This is misleading and dangerous. The studies do not have enough information on healthy vs. medically delicate children. A nonbiased third party has not done any testing on these products to give any clarification on this. The manufacturers have done all testing for the manufacturers. This dangerous practice preys on vulnerable families desperate for sleep.
Due to the AAP stating that these products pose a danger to children many big box stores have stopped stocking these items. The Consumer Product Safety Commission of the United States and Consumer Reports have deemed these unsafe and strongly advise against these products.
A baby’s body is inherently different from that of an adult. Any weight on a newborn or infants’ chest is problematic. A newborn’s ribcage is not rigid, which means that it does not take a lot of pressure on the chest to create problems with breathing and the child’s heart rate.
It is also possible for the baby to get into an unsafe sleeping position that they would not be able to get out of due to the weight of the sack. The sack could also shift and cause suffocation.
It is recommended that babies be put to sleep on their backs alone in a crib. Following safe sleep measures is the best way to keep your infant safe. If you have questions, you can ask your home visitor about safe sleep.
Furthermore, Rachel Moon, a professor of pediatrics at the University of Virginia in Charlottsville and the chair of the AAP’s task force on sudden infant death syndrome, said in an article for the Washington Post,
“ “you don’t want your baby to sleep for 12 hours at night,” Moon says, and not just because young babies need to wake frequently to feed.
“In terms of babies who die of SIDS, what we think is happening is that they can’t wake up; there’s a problem with their arousal,” she says. If they get into a situation where they aren’t getting enough oxygen or have too much carbon dioxide in their system, a too-deep sleep can inhibit their ability to startle, wake and restabilize their systems. “When babies wake up in the middle of the night, that is actually protective.”
Should you have questions about your child’s sleep please don’t hesitate to talk with your home visitor.
