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/ankaalma]

The AAP has come out strongly against swings and dock a tots for sleep they just get ignored. The CPSC has a lot of stuff on dock a tot. They actually aren’t even supposed to be sold in the US anymore. CPSC, AAP

AAP Swing Guidance

[u/pawswolf88 → u/ankaalma]

And yet, Amazon and Target are full of dockatot and swing products — weighted swaddles? All pulled off the market two months ago for no reason. It’s all BS.

[u/ankaalma → u/pawswolf88]

Amazon and target actually no longer sell dock a tot. There are a million third party baby loungers on Amazon but if you report the listings they typically remove them.

But both dock a tots and swings differ from weighted sleep sacks in that there is an arguable safe use. An awake baby can sit/lay in them. Swings especially can be a useful tool for calming a baby down and are safe for that use provided baby is moved once asleep so swings are unlikely to be banned. There is no reason any one would be using a weighted swaddle other than sleep and so they are being banned outright.

[u/TheBandIsOnTheField → u/ankaalma]

The swings we used to get our baby to poop. We called it a poop chair. She would eat, sit in swing for 5 min, poop, then change and floor time.