There are some silly baby products out there that make me laugh every time I think of them. My top two are a little “tee pee” to cover a baby boy’s winkie in case he pees during a diaper change, and a onesie with a belly button opening for easy access during umbilical cord care. Worst case scenario with products like these is you waste a little money and possibly get teased about being an over-worried new mom. Though some moms give the funniest products great reviews, so obviously these silly seeming products have a role in some people's lives.
I saw two baby products that did not make me laugh recently on a baby product review and giveaway blog. They initially scared me. I quickly envisioned bad things happening to helpless babies if these products were used. Visiting the actual product websites has reassured me, but I’m still worried about misuse. Two of the websites did a good job of addressing safety concerns and telling us where and how the products should and should not be used. One website gave a partial description of the limits. The original blog reviews I read did neither.
All this conflicting information left me wondering. How many other blogs, websites, and friends are selling, giving, or recommending these products without listing important do’s and don’ts? What happens when these products are passed along or sold secondhand, without the warnings that were a part of the original packaging? Should manufacturers trust that users will read directions and warnings for such simple looking and adorable baby products?
I am a sucker for baby hats. The Downtime Sleepy Hat covers baby’s eyes to block out light during a nap and is one of the cutest things I have ever seen. Many of my safety concerns were reassured in their Safety Tips page. But do I really want to use a baby product that requires a Safety Tips page with an opening line of “Our Downtime Sleepy hat is completely safe when used appropriately”?
SIDS prevention advises against babies sleeping in hats. It also warns us that loose fabric near a baby’s nose and mouth is as dangerous as fabric covering a baby’s nose and mouth. So I was definitely reassured to read that the Downtime Sleepy Hat’s fabric is breathable. But it “is not sleepwear and is not flame resistant.” Oh. The Sleepy Hat is not sleep wear. There might be some room for confusion here.
The Safety Tips also make it clear that “caregivers are responsible for ensuring that their child is safe and comfortable”. This includes monitoring your baby for physical comfort, overheating, and emotional well-being when her eyes are covered by the hat. We already do that as parents so that's not a stretch. But I have always found this challenging when my baby is in a rear facing car seat, like a couple of the babies pictured on the website.
Trust me, I get it. I know how stressful the never ending exhaustion and worry can be when your baby is not a good sleeper. But as much as I keep trying to like the Downtime Sleepy Hat, red flags keep popping up. As much as they have tried to address safety issues, I’m left uneasy. I’m glad that my babies are past the point of needing something like this, because I don’t know if I would think as critically about the pro’s and con’s of this hat is I felt my baby really needed help sleeping. I would love to have this and the next product that has me concerned in the NICU or PICU, where babies are monitored by medical equipment and people 24/7.
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