Fisher-Price says 10 infants have died using Rock 'n Play sleeper
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Anonymous
| How does this compare to the population wide statistics on infant mortality? I know the figure is around 5-6 bi tit includes all preemies in the US. So, let's say it's 2-3 per 1000. If 4,000-5,000 babies used the rocker per year in the US, 10 deaths would be on par with the general stat. Someone who works in the field could tell us more about mortality rates in the 3-6 month old group. If I recall, this is peak SIDS risk time. |
Anonymous
I agree this is peak SIDS time, but the fact they specifically mention the ability to roll over makes me envision a child flipping over and suffocating face down, which is specific to this product and may not otherwise have happened. |
Anonymous
| I looked at the picture and these have way more padding than the previous models like Kick and Play. I liked the Kick and Play, but baby was always secured. Not sure why they added all the padding. |
Anonymous
NP. We tried that. Even as a newborn, DD would wiggle around so much that she would roll right down the inclined mattress. We were so absolutely exhausted from having to hold her to sleep all night that her pediatrician took one look at me and recommended a rock n play, just to get us through the early stages of reflux. He stated that, while the official recommendation is that flat on the back in the crib is best, some newborn babies just don’t tolerate that well. We transitioned her back to the crib once we saw an improvement in her reflux, around 3mo. LONG before she started to roll over. Used correctly (that’s the important part), I don’t see this as any more dangerous than having an exhausted, sleep deprived parent. We were far more of a risk to her running on little to no sleep, especially once I went back to work at 6 weeks. |
Anonymous
No- sleeping on the front is not safe even with someone watching. |
Anonymous
+1000 There seem to be a lot of "experts" on reflux here, who I'm pretty certain have not had to care for a newborn with it. And not the "happy spitter" variety where the baby barfs a lot, but doesn't seem to be bothered or in pain - I mean the kind where the baby has serious pain/discomfort when laid flat. My first had a horrible case of reflux, and the R&P was a life saver - particularly before the pediatrician finally took us seriously about the reflux. (Frankly, I think doctors are so annoyed by any parent who uses Google -- especially new first-time parents -- that they stop listening and start lecturing about how some babies just cry more for no reason. Ours finally saw us shortly after a feeding and saw what we'd been talking about. Took him about 5 seconds after walking in the exam room and seeing my son arch his back and scream hysterically in pain for him to say (kind of sheepishly) "Oh. Yeah, that's definitely reflux. I'll write a script for Zantac.") Tried various other methods of putting him on an incline, but R&P was the only thing that worked those first few months. We did try elevating one end of the crib again once he improved on the Zantac - it wasn't perfect, but by then it was good enough for all of us to get some sleep, so we moved him there. To be honest, I was worried more about positional asphyxia (like, the same reason you don't let your kid sleep in the car seat) with the Rock and Play, not rolling over - probably because I was strapping him in. Our second child didn't have reflux, and slept flat in the hospital isolette and then a Halo bassinet at home just fine. I took out the R&P just once to help him get some sleep during a really bad ear infection. I think he was about 10 weeks old - and I definitely strapped him in, because I remember I was annoyed dealing with them in the middle of the night and looking forward to going back to the Halo and no straps! Look, flat on the back is ideal for safety, and in most cases is absolutely the right choice. It wasn't something I thought I'd try before I needed it - especially since baby #1 was a "rainbow baby" after years of infertility and the second trimester loss of his sister, and I was trying to do EVERYTHING right. But I'm still eternally grateful to the R&P for getting us through what then seemed like the longest 10-12 weeks of my life, restoring my sanity and giving my son some relief from what looked to me like pretty excruciating pain before we got him on the Zantac. Newborn #2 was not a great sleeper nor a particularly easy baby, but compared to what I went through with his brother, my second maternity leave was like a 12-week spa vacation. |
Anonymous
How many babies have died in their sleep while a professional had been hired to do nothing but make sure the baby is breathing normally? Zero. |
Anonymous
| Reading all of this, my heart goes out to all you tired mommas who couldn’t get any sleep until the Rock n Play was introduced. That’s rough, and it’s totally dependent on the baby. |
Anonymous
My heart also goes out to every sleep deprived parent, but you can do things to promote better sleep for children. (Same for adults!) |
Anonymous
| Belly sleeping was a life saver for us and while it used to be the norm the guideline of the past 20 yrs for back sleeping really decreased sids incidents. I can see why people are against it but it brought my son peace and calm and rest after constant struggling. We had to belly sleep for my kid with reflux, he could also use a reflux wedge that we strapped him into but that was for waking hours. There are many on the market but the best for us was one that help him inclined with feet off he floor. Bending his body just hurt him too much reflux wise. I think it’s because he was premature. I still get so sad remembering that time of his life and I’m so happy he is past the worst of it. He still has reflux at 9 but he says he just swallows it down. Meds didn’t help and the dr wanted to try getting off them. He doesn’t complain anymore but when I ask he says it’s a daily bother. |
Anonymous
18:16 PP here. Yes, we had a similar experience with diagnosis. Listening to my newborn baby girl scream herself hoarse from pain every time we laid her flat on her back is something I’ll never forget. This was night and day difference from the “happy spitter” form of reflux that I had seen in my niece. I was dealing with bad PPA at the time, too, and I was so torn between doing the right thing with “back is best” and knowing she was in agony every time I laid her down. Our pediatrician’s reassurance was a godsend to me, but we were still very vigilant with the Rock n Play. |
Anonymous
+1 Suffocation happens extremely quickly and quietly. It is unsafe even if an adult is awake in the same room. |
Anonymous
Additionally if you have a night nurse, that’s even more reason to place on back. You have someone to assist with an infant that is having difficulty sleeping on back. (Anecdotally, I only know back is best for my three. They’re all fine sleepers.) |
Anonymous
And plenty of us dealt with it without a rock and play. They are not safe. |
Anonymous
Please share a link to support your assertion. I haven't yet heard of one single instance when an infant has died of either SIDS or suffocation right under the watchful eyes of a hired professional night nurse. Thank you! |