Breastfeeding pillows, used by all moms, can pose a life-threatening risk to babies in specific cases, according to an NBC News investigation. We explain to you.
Every mum will tell you: the nursing pillow, whether they are breastfeeding or not, they love it! Soft, fluffy, it allows both to position your baby comfortably during his meal, but also to better settle himself. Used even before birth, it helps pregnant women sleep better. But this essential tool for the future and the new mother can involve risks, as reported by our colleagues from NBC News.
162 deaths linked to nursing pillows in the US since 2007
Published on August 7, an investigation by NBC News evokes 162 deaths of babies under the age of one in the United States since 2007, involving a nursing pillow. “Some of the babies sank into the pillows or arched back, constricting their airways. Others turned their faces towards the plush surface, suffocating as their parents slept a few feet away (…) At least three incidents involved mothers who fell asleep while feeding their babies with a nursing pillow and woke up to find they couldn’t revive their child“says the American media.
Do not use a nursing pillow to put baby to sleep
In the vast majority of cases, the cushion had been used to put the baby to sleep, curled up in the soft material. A danger explained by Jessica Madden, pediatrician, on the Motherly site.
“Some parents deliberately place their babies to sleep on nursing pillows to keep their heads elevated to prevent spit up and reflux. The problem with this is that infants don’t have good neck control. Even If a baby is held upright and appears to be in a secure position, it is easy for their head to droop into their chest, which can cut off the airway and prevent them from breathing.”
A firm mattress, a sleeping bag, and nothing more
To avoid such mortal risk for baby, the recommendations are quite simple.
To avoid any risk of suffocation, baby should sleep on his back, on a firm mattress, in a sleeping bag and nothing else.
Cuddly toys, cushions, blankets, bed bumpers or pillows to support baby’s head are to be avoided: as long as he cannot free his head or turn around on his own, all these accessories expose him to the risk of asphyxiation.
