Article
Device-driven parenting has made life a whole lot easier than 100 years ago. Disposable nappies, microwaves, prams and parenting apps all make life as a parent much easier. These are great inventions and aside from the occasional health or environmental warning, most of us have assumed that they do no harm. Or at the very least, the benefits outweigh the risks and so we have learnt to rely on these modern innovations.
While I’m sure we can all accept that humans are always going to drive technology and innovation to find new solutions to everyday problems. This will of course make our lives as parents easier and easier as each generation has babies. There are however, a few innovations or devices that while they seem to make our lives easier, may actually be unwise and place our infants at risk.
Plastic molded seats
Plastic molded seats position small babies in a seated position to feed and play. These seats are often used before a baby is sitting independently and if used for an extended period of time, result in lazy core muscles, which leads to delayed rolling, sitting and crawling.
Baby cry interpreter
Baby cry interpreter – I saw this crazy device at a trade show about 7 years ago. This device purports to record your baby’s cry and tell you if your baby is hungry, tired or sore. I can tell you as a therapist who sees fussy babies and a mom of three, each baby’s cry is unique and there is no way that a device or book could tell you what your baby’s cry means unless it is in the context of a whole lot more information.
A bottle holder
This device hangs over your baby and suspends the bottle in the right place for the baby to feed. In no way is this a clever thing. Feed times are contact time – while breastfeeding, you have to be present (obviously) and there is an enormous sensory aspect to the feed. Bottle-feeding needs to offer the same experience for mom and baby.
So these are three ideas that I think should go out with the bathwater 🙂
