2023-10-24 06:14:29
Researchers are waging war against photos printed on diaper packages. They launched a petition on Monday. These clichés contradict preventive actions against sudden infant death.
Every year in France, around 300 babies die unexplained before the age of one, victims of “sudden infant death syndrome”. The stomach sleeping position has been identified since the 1990s as one of the main risk factors, as has sleeping on a soft surface or the presence of pillows, comforters, stuffed toys, ill-fitting mattress sheets near of the child’s head or even sharing the bed with another person.
Since the dissemination of international recommendations, asking parents to avoid these risky situations, the incidence of sudden death has decreased, it has been reduced by 80% in France from the 1990s. In recent years, however, these instructions seem to be less heard, hence this work of analyzing the visuals appearing on the diaper packages. A total of 631 diaper packages sold in 11 European countries were screened by this team of researchers involving Inserm, Paris hospitals, Nantes University Hospital and other European research structures. These scientists regret an alarming level of inconsistency between these visuals and the recommendations made to parents to limit the risk of sudden death.
An impact on parental behavior
Concretely, half of the diaper packaging sold in Europe displays an image of a sleeping baby. In 8 out of 10 cases, babies are lying in the wrong position. France is no exception. Of the 45 packs of diapers sold by us, 36 show photos with a baby sleeping in a position that does not comply with recommendations. Either they are on their stomach or side, or they sleep with their head on a pillow, stuffed animal or soft support. Sometimes babies are photographed next to an adult who is also sleeping.
These images unfortunately really influence the behavior of parents. For researchers, this resembles a form of insidious misinformation in relation to recommended practices, especially since numerous studies have already demonstrated the very strong influence of marketing on health behaviors. This has been proven in the prevention of smoking, alcohol consumption, skin cancer, dietary habits.
These researchers are therefore campaigning for the legislator to prohibit manufacturers from displaying on their packaging of diapers, and of childcare articles in general, photos contrary to the recommendations made to parents to limit the risk of sudden infant death. They also launched a petition to this effect on Monday October 23. Petition already signed by many doctors, as well as by the High Health Authority and the French Pediatric Society.
1698128723
#photos #diaper #packages #show #babies #lying #bad #position