Sleeping In Swings?

[Guest]

I noticed that many of you are commenting that your dck's are sleeping at in a swing (at home). Is this a thing? I've never even heard of anyone doing this on a regular basis. Isn't that terrible for their backs?

[saved4always]

From my understanding, it is very unsafe for a baby to sleep in a swing as it puts them in a position where they can suffocate. The same for sleeping in infant seats.

[Play Care]

I gather that for infants the swing motion is very soothing. Parents will say that it's the only way baby will sleep.

Babies have died from sleeping in swings, car seats and other devices (some labeled for sleep ) A couple of issues are that the devices keep babies heads upright, since baby is top heavy his head slumps down, cutting off air to his lungs. Sometimes baby isn't strapped in and gets tangled in the belt, and is strangled. Or falls out of the device and become trapped by the head, strangling that way.

Unfortunately for many providers in the US, we have to take those younger, untrained infants because of our shameful mat leave. So we often wind up with a screaming infant because we can't nap them like that.

[Laurel]

I gather that for infants the swing motion is very soothing. Parents will say that it's the only way baby will sleep.

Babies have died from sleeping in swings, car seats and other devices (some labeled for sleep ) A couple of issues are that the devices keep babies heads upright, since baby is top heavy his head slumps down, cutting off air to his lungs. Sometimes baby isn't strapped in and gets tangled in the belt, and is strangled. Or falls out of the device and become trapped by the head, strangling that way.

Unfortunately for many providers in the US, we have to take those younger, untrained infants because of our shameful mat leave. So we often wind up with a screaming infant because we can't nap them like that.

My daughter has done it with my grandson as he was a colic baby and that was the only way he would sleep. But, the back of the seat adjusted so it could be laid not perfectly flat but almost so. He couldn't lift his head so it seemed okay to me. The seat backs do adjust. At least hers did to different positions.

Laurel

[MarinaVanessa]

Not just in swings. Infants are also sleeping in car seats, Rock n Plays, and other similar devices. I was at a wedding yesterday and talking to friends of mine. Mom is a nurse and they were telling me how they put their baby to sleep in the car seat otherwise they put him on his tummy to sleep. He's 3 weeks old.

I bit my tongue but I must have showed some shock or something because they quickly put in there that at night they put him on his back. She's a nurse for crying out loud. I don't bother telling people anything anymore about safe sleep practices. Many times it is not well received.

[Unregistered]

I still have parents whose pediatricians tell them to put the baby to sleep in a car seat on top of the dryer. Or in a swing. Or on their side. Or propped up.

Whose advice do YOU think a parent will listen to? Their pediatrician or their daycare person?

[cara041083]

I don't allow my baby to sleep in a car seat or swing due to all the reasons listed avive. I did use the rock and play as a bassinet for 3 of my kids and then moved them to a crib at age 3 months. My pets doctor re came need it due to really bad acid reflex. But I don't know if I would do it again now that I know what I know.

[Blackcat31]

I still have parents whose pediatricians tell them to put the baby to sleep in a car seat on top of the dryer. Or in a swing. Or on their side. Or propped up.

Whose advice do YOU think a parent will listen to? Their pediatrician or their daycare person?

Parents are free to listen to their pediatrician.

The results however, mean THEY take the risk AND they will have a hard time finding a childcare provider willing to risk her livelihood and sanity dealing with a baby trained to sleep in a manner she cannot LEGALLY allow.

So...who SHOULD they listen to? The person ACTUALLY caring for their child or their pediatrician?

[nannyde]

Yes it is very common. It will be until we start prosecuting parents for putting their child in danger.

I have had countless parents who claim they did not know it was unsafe but after being fully educated on safe sleep they still continued to put their baby in danger.

In this day and age there is no excuse for parents not to educate themselves about safe sleep. I've had parents discuss attachment parenting so in depth to the point where they feelthey are highly knowledgeable about crying and cortisol research and then act like they don't have a clue about safe sleep.

Even after extensive information and an anecdotal story of one of my family's losing a child to positional asphyxia they persist with swing sleep and unsafe blanket, seat and co sleep sleep.

When babies die at home under parent care due to unsafe sleep it is not being prosecuted. That needs to start happening across the country.

[cara041083]

Wow I really miss typed my post due to being on my phone

[Leanna]

Yes it is very common. It will be until we start prosecuting parents for putting their child in danger.

I have had countless parents who claim they did not know it was unsafe but after being fully educated on safe sleep they still continued to put their baby in danger.

In this day and age there is no excuse for parents not to educate themselves about safe sleep. I've had parents discuss attachment parenting so in depth to the point where they feelthey are highly knowledgeable about crying and cortisol research and then act like they don't have a clue about safe sleep.

Even after extensive information and an anecdotal story of one of my family's losing a child to positional asphyxia they persist with swing sleep and unsafe blanket, seat and co sleep sleep.

When babies die at home under parent care due to unsafe sleep it is not being prosecuted. That needs to start happening across the country.

Idk, Nan. Putting babies on their backs to sleep has become a mostly understood practice - that is people know they SHOULD be doing this. But do they necessarily know that they shouldn't have blankets, pillows, positioners, bumpers, and stuffies in the crib? No, I don't feel they do. I still look through fliers and ads and see completely decked out cribs being shown. I just read in Parents magazine that they will now make a commitment to only showing pics of cribs that show safe sleep practices. This hasn't become a completely understood topic yet.

Also, co-sleeping is WIDELY practiced in so many other cultures. How can we respectively communicate to all families in our country that co-sleeping isn't safe here?

As far as swing, car seat, stroller, etc. sleeping. I definitely do not feel as though it is understood that infants should not sleep in these. I was too embarrassed to post under a registered name, but when I first found this forum a few years ago, I made a post about how even with my Bachelor's degree in ECE and my countless hours of professional development and trainings on safe sleep, I NEVER HEARD THIS. So imagine now a young couple having their first child...I can bet that even if they learn "back to sleep" they don't necessarily learn about positional asphyxia.

I understand what you are saying about how parents should educate themselves but if they don't even know (or think they do because the hospital told them about the tummy sleeping part) then how do they know to even look further?

I am not excusing purposefully neglectful behavior, but I just think we need to be doing a much better job with the education piece of this.

[SignMeUp]

So...who SHOULD they listen to? The person ACTUALLY caring for their child or their pediatrician?

Agreed. It's not what happens though. Personally, I think that pediatricians need to be re-trained on infant sleep environments
You know, as a condition of their license

[Blackcat31]

Agreed. It's not what happens though. Personally, I think that pediatricians need to be re-trained on infant sleep environments
You know, as a condition of their license

It's just like pediatricians that say a kid should be allowed to be back in care after an illness since they aren't contagious anymore but they are still whiney, clingy and crying most of the day.

Thanks Dr...because HE is0'nt the one caring for that child so...

The child may NOT be contagious but that doesn't mean the child should be back in care. :confused:

[nannyde]

Idk, Nan. Putting babies on their backs to sleep has become a mostly understood practice - that is people know they SHOULD be doing this. But do they necessarily know that they shouldn't have blankets, pillows, positioners, bumpers, and stuffies in the crib? No, I don't feel they do. I still look through fliers and ads and see completely decked out cribs being shown. I just read in Parents magazine that they will now make a commitment to only showing pics of cribs that show safe sleep practices. This hasn't become a completely understood topic yet.

Also, co-sleeping is WIDELY practiced in so many other cultures. How can we respectively communicate to all families in our country that co-sleeping isn't safe here?

As far as swing, car seat, stroller, etc. sleeping. I definitely do not feel as though it is understood that infants should not sleep in these. I was too embarrassed to post under a registered name, but when I first found this forum a few years ago, I made a post about how even with my Bachelor's degree in ECE and my countless hours of professional development and trainings on safe sleep, I NEVER HEARD THIS. So imagine now a young couple having their first child...I can bet that even if they learn "back to sleep" they don't necessarily learn about positional asphyxia.

I understand what you are saying about how parents should educate themselves but if they don't even know (or think they do because the hospital told them about the tummy sleeping part) then how do they know to even look further?

I am not excusing purposefully neglectful behavior, but I just think we need to be doing a much better job with the education piece of this.

You make good points but my experience is that once they are fully educated and have time to research the information as they have researched attachment parenting, breastfeeding, etc. They still do the wrong thing.

I had a family who had a baby girl. The baby was breastfed and was on a binky constantly. I discussed safe sleep and the Iowa regs three times at the interview. It was a couple of weeks before the kid started.

It didn't take long for me to figure out this baby was sleeping upright in motion the majority of the time. I trained them again and again told them I could not replicate.

I let them know the baby only slept up and in motion. I also let them know that once up and in motion the baby fell asleep IMMEDIATELY. I was required to lay the baby down once she had fallen asleep. Once laid down on a flat surface without motion the baby woke up immediately and started crying. These cycles would get as short as a minute from the point I provided up and motion to the falling asleep to lay back down. I physically could not keep up the cycle.

I knew they were offering non stop motion and up sleep. I was right.

We came up to a holiday break where they would be gone for six days. I know six days of sleep laying down and flat with no motion for six days would result in a baby adjusting and having more than a few minutes of sleep at a time. If they were doing it I could tell.

They came back and the baby was no further along than.day one. They spent the six days when they didn't have to work and held and.rocked her and let her swing sleep the whole time. They had no excuse whatsoever for continuing it except they were willing to put her life at risk so she didn't cry.

I trained them. I provided the research. I copied off the.Iowa code. I offered them the phone number of my client who lost her firstborn to positional asphyxiation. They had a chance to talk to someone who went thru that hell and spends every day in devastation over their mistake.

They knew how dangerous it was and in the end they didn't want the baby to cry. They believed that crying causes increased cortisol and the increased cortisol causes brain damage. They used that to excuse the babies all nighters in swings. They used that as a reason not to remove her out of her car seat after.they drove her around to get her to stop crying. They used that as a reason to hold and rock in the middle of the night even though they were exhausted.

They just didn't want her to cry.

I think that even with extensive education it is going to be very difficult to get compliance. Prosecuting them and prison time would. The media attention on the ones who knew and still did the wrong.thing would.

I think the hospital needs to do training and have documentation that the info is provided and.parents agreed that.they were given the info. I think each state needs to require parents being given a.handout on safe sleep and acknowledge they have received it.
Every well child visit... same thing.

Once the parent has been given the info and resources like the cdc to research then they should be accountable. If they do as my clients and the baby dies they need to be held accountable as you and I.

[Leigh]

Idk, Nan. Putting babies on their backs to sleep has become a mostly understood practice - that is people know they SHOULD be doing this. But do they necessarily know that they shouldn't have blankets, pillows, positioners, bumpers, and stuffies in the crib? No, I don't feel they do. I still look through fliers and ads and see completely decked out cribs being shown. I just read in Parents magazine that they will now make a commitment to only showing pics of cribs that show safe sleep practices. This hasn't become a completely understood topic yet.

Also, co-sleeping is WIDELY practiced in so many other cultures. How can we respectively communicate to all families in our country that co-sleeping isn't safe here?

As far as swing, car seat, stroller, etc. sleeping. I definitely do not feel as though it is understood that infants should not sleep in these. I was too embarrassed to post under a registered name, but when I first found this forum a few years ago, I made a post about how even with my Bachelor's degree in ECE and my countless hours of professional development and trainings on safe sleep, I NEVER HEARD THIS. So imagine now a young couple having their first child...I can bet that even if they learn "back to sleep" they don't necessarily learn about positional asphyxia.

I understand what you are saying about how parents should educate themselves but if they don't even know (or think they do because the hospital told them about the tummy sleeping part) then how do they know to even look further?

I am not excusing purposefully neglectful behavior, but I just think we need to be doing a much better job with the education piece of this.

Parents here are educated on safe sleep practices in the hospital. Parents at my daycare are REeducated by me. There is no parent at my home that can claim ignorance-I tell them for the 2nd time that it isn't safe. They choose "unsafe" because it's easier for them. I can't tell you how many times I have told someone to get the bumper out of their crib...the answer is ALWAYS the same "I used them with my last kid(s), and THEY are fine". I think that the safe sleep educators should be parents whose children died because of unsafe practices. Those parents should have to watch a funeral of a baby dead because of carelessness and selfishness.