Your Survivor Bias Regarding Baby Product Recalls Is Disturbing And Harmful

Trigger Warning: Child Loss

Parents around the country were furious when the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) recalled the widely adored Fisher-Price Rock n’ Play in 2019. Now, following the recall of over 3.3 million Boppy Loungers linked to eight infant fatalities, many of the same individuals are directing their anger toward grieving families.

Unlike the Rock n’ Play, Boppy never marketed their loungers as safe sleeping products, and this detail has become the basis for victim-blaming. “No way! We have [two] and will keep them for our next child. It was the best baby product for our [first] kid. Parents need to stop leaving their children unsupervised on products not meant for sleep,” one commenter stated on a Facebook post from The Boppy Company regarding the recall. Another parent added, “This is frustrating! It’s a LOUNGER!! (I feel terrible for the babies who lost their lives, but…) If you let your baby sleep on it without supervision, that’s on you. It’s a good product that doesn’t deserve this backlash.”

It’s disheartening that people are more upset about the removal of a product than about the loss of eight innocent lives. As a parent who has experienced the tragedy of losing a child to SIDS, I can tell you that saying “I’m very sorry” followed by “but” is nothing short of victim-blaming — a glaring example of survivor’s bias.

Many parents have experienced the anxiety of watching their baby sleep on a couch, in a swing, or on an adult mattress, often contemplating whether to wake them. We’ve all been busy, distracted, or even dozed off ourselves, momentarily taking our eyes off them. In those fleeting moments of peace, we often weigh the consequences of our baby’s sleeping arrangements against the odds of something bad happening.

However, the stakes are incredibly high when it comes to infant sleep. The worst-case scenario is that a baby could suffocate, even under vigilant supervision. If we fail to recognize that this tragedy can strike anyone, even the most attentive parents, we’re missing the point.

We can’t know the circumstances surrounding these heartbreaking infant deaths, and the parents involved have already endured enough pain. It’s important to remember that our society often promotes unsafe sleep practices for infants and discourages open discussions about them.

It’s so pervasive that many hesitate to speak out about unsafe sleep habits when they see them, due to the prevailing “mama knows best” mentality. While I wholeheartedly support maternal instincts, there are certain aspects of parenting, like safe sleep, that should be clear-cut.

You frequently see concerned parents attempting to raise awareness about safe sleep in social media comments, only to be met with hostility and defensiveness from others. Yet, if that parent’s child were to suffer from accidental suffocation, the narrative would shift dramatically. It’s easy to judge tragedies that one has managed to avoid.

Whether or not Boppy intended for their loungers to be used for sleep is irrelevant. SIDS is the leading cause of death for infants under one year, and unsafe sleep conditions significantly increase the risk of sudden death. So why are products that contradict the Back To Sleep Campaign — which has reduced SIDS by over 50% — still available for purchase? It misleads parents and poses an undeniable risk to infants.

If people are looking for someone to blame, they should direct that frustration toward the infant sleep industry, which rakes in $325 million annually. This industry continues to market unsafe products like fluffy pillows and padded crib bumpers, despite pediatricians’ warnings against them.

“These types of incidents are heartbreaking,” stated Robert S. Adler, Acting Chairman of the CPSC, in response to the Boppy recall. “Loungers and pillow-like products are not safe for infant sleep due to the suffocation risk. Since infants sleep so much of the time, even in items not intended for sleep, these Boppy loungers are too risky to be on the market.”

Infants don’t understand whether their sleeping environment is safe, and they spend a lot of time sleeping. The idea that one could safely use a recalled baby product requires constant supervision, which is impractical and unsafe. It’s not neglectful parents causing these recalls; unsafe sleep is always a gamble, and one child’s fortunate outcome doesn’t guarantee another’s safety.

As advocates for safe sleep emphasize: supervised unsafe sleep is still unsafe. This includes using Boppy Loungers.

For more insights on safe practices, you can check out this post from our blog, which discusses the importance of safe sleep and parenting choices. Additionally, it’s essential to visit WomensHealth.gov for excellent resources on pregnancy.

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In summary, the outrage over baby product recalls often overlooks the real tragedies behind them. Survivor bias can lead individuals to blame grieving parents instead of addressing the systemic issues within the infant sleep industry that continue to endanger lives. It’s crucial to foster a community that prioritizes safe sleep practices and supports one another through the challenges of parenting.

Keyphrase: Baby product recalls and survivor bias

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