2023-10-23 13:46:14
October 23, 2023
Researchers sifted through images on baby diaper packaging. For 79% of packages containing a sleeping baby, recommendations for preventing sudden infant death syndrome were not respected.
Do the representations of babies on diaper packaging put them in danger? A European team, including researchers from Inserm, studied the images on baby diaper packaging in eleven European countries. Only diapers for infants weighing less than 5 kg – those most at risk of sudden death – were analyzed. “The research team identified 631 packages of diapers for babies weighing less than 5 kilos. In 49% of them, an image depicted a sleeping baby. Analyzes indicate that 79% of packages depicting a sleeping baby, or 39% of all packages, were non-compliant with at least one sudden death prevention recommendation. notes Inserm in a press release dated October 23, 2023.
Figures that are no longer falling
Sudden infant death syndrome – the unexpected and unexplained death of a baby following thorough investigation – is the number one cause of death among children aged 28 days to 1 year. It affects between 250 and 350 children each year in France, according to Public Health France, and three quarters of these deaths occur before the age of 6 months. Since the early 1990s, putting a child to sleep on their stomach has been identified as a major risk factor for sudden infant death syndrome. The dissemination of international recommendations has made it possible to reduce sudden deaths in France by 80%. But the incidence rate has no longer fallen in recent years in France and in several other European countries, while “ a high frequency of parental sleeping practices not in accordance with recommendations was noted », Details Inserm.
45% of babies sleep on their stomach or in a side position
“According to the scientific literature, we know that images conveying implicit or explicit health messages have proven effective in changing numerous health practices (alcohol consumption during pregnancy, breastfeeding, etc.). We also know that if images have historically constituted important tools of persuasion, they have also always been a source of information for consumers. explains Inserm. However, on diaper packages where a sleeping baby appears, he was in a prone or lateral position in 45% of cases, sleeping in bedding or near a soft object (bed bumper, blanket, teddy bear, etc.) in 51% of cases. And 10% of them slept with another person.
Prevent exposure to non-compliant images
Researchers advocate for visuals consistent with recommendations for the prevention of sudden infant death syndrome. “Our results highlight that there is a gap between the messages that are conveyed on these everyday products or institutional sites, to which many parents are heavily exposed, and the recommendations for the prevention of sudden death. These findings suggest the need for action by manufacturers and legislators to prevent this exposure to commercial or official images inconsistent with sudden infant death prevention recommendations in order to prevent unsafe sleeping practices. concludes Martin Chalumeau, last author of the study, epidemiologist at Inserm, professor at Paris Cité University and pediatrician at AP-HP.
To note : The seven recommendations of theAmerican academy of pediatrics are to lay the baby on his back, on a firm surface, in a secure bed, in the parents’ bedroom, without any object or soft bedding accessory nearby, without any other person sharing the sleeping surface. Finally, she recommends using a pacifier, which would prevent the child from suffocating.
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Source : Inserm October 23, 2023, Public Health France
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Written by : Dorothée Duchemin – Edited by Vincent Roche
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