Controversy Over Breastfeeding Pillow Rules
U-shaped pillows help prop baby up to help with latching and they can also help support the mom's arms making the process of breastfeeding more comfortable. It's why some fear new rules set on these types of pillows could make breastfeeding more difficult.
Transcript
00:00 (whooshing)
00:01 These U-shaped pillows can help prop baby up
00:04 and help with latching.
00:05 They can also help support mom's arms,
00:08 making the process of breastfeeding
00:09 maybe a little easier and more comfortable.
00:11 But it's also why some fear that any new rules
00:15 set on these pillows could make breastfeeding
00:17 more difficult.
00:18 It is nothing short of amazing
00:20 bringing a new baby into the world,
00:22 but all parents know the immediate concerns that go with
00:25 getting them to sleep through the night is a major one.
00:28 If you are having trouble with getting them to sleep,
00:31 even swaddled, even with white noise,
00:33 even with blackout blinds, get help.
00:36 Ask for help.
00:37 There are people around.
00:38 There's a support, there's a village.
00:40 Abby Morris is a certified infant and child sleep expert.
00:43 She's a resource for parents and their children
00:45 from newborn until age five.
00:48 She says nothing is more important than safe sleep.
00:51 3,400 infants die each year
00:53 due to sudden infant death syndrome,
00:55 according to the CDC.
00:56 The Maternal and Child Health Journal estimates
00:59 between 2004 and 2015, 171 infants died
01:03 after U-shaped pillows were found in their sleep environment.
01:06 82% of those infants had been placed to sleep
01:09 on top of or with the pillow around their head.
01:12 Back is best alone in the crib or bassinet,
01:16 never with a pillow.
01:17 Do not use it to prop baby up.
01:19 Very often colic or reflux babies,
01:23 pediatricians in the past would have advised,
01:26 oh, use a wedge, use a pillow, use a nursing pillow,
01:29 prop baby up, it'll help with the digestion.
01:31 It is so dangerous.
01:34 Her advice comes as the Consumer Product Safety Commission
01:36 announced its plans to set safety standards
01:39 on U-shaped nursing pillows,
01:41 and she says it stems from miseducation.
01:43 If people aren't gonna educate themselves on it,
01:46 then there needs to be a governing body stepping in
01:49 and saying, hey, we're gonna prevent it
01:51 if nothing is being done otherwise.
01:54 Breastfeeding Infant Development Support Alliance
01:56 is representing many of the current manufacturers
01:59 of U-shaped nursing pillows.
02:01 On its website, it claims CPSC wants to ban the pillow,
02:05 which they say could negatively impact moms
02:07 and their choice to breastfeed.
02:09 Nursing is hard enough,
02:11 and getting baby in the right position to latch,
02:13 getting them to hold in the right position,
02:16 even using a lactation consultant,
02:17 they advise using those nursing pillows.
02:19 We don't want those nursing aids all to be pulled completely
02:24 because it makes nursing even more difficult
02:26 than it already is,
02:27 and it could pose a threat to nursing itself.
02:30 During a conference at the end of July,
02:32 CPSC's chair made it clear the new rules
02:35 would not be a ban on nursing pillows,
02:38 but efforts to, quote,
02:39 "Ensure that nursing pillows don't pose a suffocation hazard
02:42 while still meeting the needs of breastfeeding parents."
02:46 Morris does warn it's equally important for moms
02:48 to be awake and aware while using the pillows for feeding.
02:52 Very often at newborn age,
02:54 we're bringing the baby to our bed, feeding,
02:56 and then putting baby back safely in the bassinet.
02:59 However, when you're going through this every three hours,
03:03 you are not always going to be as alert
03:06 when you're going to be feeding,
03:08 and so this can happen with a regular pillow.
03:10 She says you can do that by having a spouse or friend
03:13 check in on you through the night as you breastfeed.
03:16 You can also set an alarm on your phone to alert you.
03:19 Get up and sit in a rocking chair to feed
03:21 instead of your bed,
03:22 or keep cold water and snacks on a nightstand
03:25 to help keep you awake.
03:27 I'm Heather Lee reporting.