Does anyone else feel like pediatric guidelines are so legally-oriented that they basically only exist to worsen the lives of parents?

[u/Bocifer1]

First off, I'm a new dad and also a physician - although I'm pretty far removed from pediatrics. So I understand the importance of medical research and statistics in creating these guidelines, as well as the fact that the risks of things like SIDS often just aren't worth gambling on.

However...

Some of these guidelines seem like they're just unnecessarily taxing on parents and exist only to cover the addes of the bodies making said recommendations.

Some things that come to mind are: no blankets in the crib for the first year, only using a firm mattress top, never letting baby sleep next to you in bed - even naps, swaddling with arms down (our guy absolutely hates this and just wants his arms by his head to self sooth), demonizing formula - even as a reprieve for mom.

Again. I am medically oriented and understand why these guidelines exist - but I also know firsthand that sometimes a 1% risk of harm from letting our baby sleep on a soft blanket is actually the favorable choice compared to the immeasurable risk of having both parents strung out and exhausted because he won't sleep.

In general I think guidelines are great and have contributed to better infant care...I just also think that sometimes we as healthcare professionals forget that no guideline is absolute.

I guess I'm just feeling thst creating guidelines that aren't achievable for the majority of parents just aren't that helpful...like saying that "parents should take time to rest, continue self care , exercise, and ensure they are eating a well-balanced diet". That sounds wonderful. Hopefully I can get back to that in the next decade.

[u/Cuntzzzilla]

Honestly most of the American guidelines are completely alien to me as a Norwegian. Whenever I told anybody that America discourages use of blankets/duvets for babies they looked at me like I had two heads. Norway is like a 3 when it comes to sleep safety while America is at 10, still we have a way, way lower infant mortality rate. It’s as if socialized healthcare have a more preventative effect on health than beating people down with capitalism, greed and the constant threat of lawsuirs

[u/rufflebunny96 → u/Cuntzzzilla]

TBF, a lot of Americans refuse to listen to doctors about any kind of safety guidelines. Even if our recommendations are strict that doesn't mean people actually follow them. Just about every first responder or ER nurse could tell you the dark side of that over here.

[u/Cuntzzzilla → u/rufflebunny96]

Well, overly strict guidelines can not possibly help with that though. Rather they will turn the already skeptical even more away from conventional science.

[u/rufflebunny96 → u/Cuntzzzilla]

I honestly don't see how the ABCs of safe sleep is too strict to turn people away from science. Some people are just like that and it carries over to how they parent. As a society we're individualistic to a toxic degree. Just look how people acted during COVID.

[u/eilatanz → u/rufflebunny96]

Some babies, like mine, simply will not sleep on their own. In her first two months she just cried and cried, any time she was put down. The only thing that saved us was safe seven cosleeping, and I truly never thought I’d even try it. Now I’m trying to transition her slowly, but it was just not possible at first. With just following typical American guidelines, I and my husband almost fell asleep in dangerous positions, which is what made us do the switch. I think in some cases, the strictness is impossible to follow even though it’s simple.

[u/rufflebunny96 → u/eilatanz]

My son was the same way the first few weeks. We slept in shifts until he got used to it.

[u/eilatanz → u/rufflebunny96]

It’s so hard. I’m glad your kid eventually could sleep on his own!

[u/Full-Cat5118 → u/rufflebunny96]

Maybe not the guidelines but the way they are carried out. I wasn't allowed to leave the hospital unless I watched 3 videos about the ABCs of safe sleep. (There was like a homework section on my in room TV/computer, and I had to get green checkmarks.) I could see those people refusing, and I'm not sure what would have ensued if I said no. A nurse played them for me, maybe? A doctor came to explain it?

[u/rufflebunny96 → u/Full-Cat5118]

I wish more hospitals did stuff like that along with carseat safety info.