Column: New baby product raises alarm
There’s a new product on the market that has me worrying about the future of children in our country.
Americans have such a fascination with handy gadgets – our kitchen drawers are full of them.
And any pregnant woman knows there are hundreds of gadgets out there, designed to make raising a baby a small simpler.
At first glance, this new product sounds like a clever thought: It’s a specially-designed baby bottle holder that is simple for infants to hold so they can feed themselves. It can also be used as a teething toy and a ball to play with.
But, the more I thought about this, the more distressed I got. I thought about living in Togo, West Africa, for two years and not once seeing a baby in a stroller. Babies in Togo – and additional underdeveloped countries in the world – are carried in someone’s arms from the time they are born until they can walk. Most of the time, their mothers carry them on their back or on a hip, held in place with a sling of fabric. Often, their older siblings carry them – it’s common to see 5-year-olds carrying an infant while their mother is working or carrying water.
For 99 percent of human history, there was no such thing as a baby bottle. Babies were breastfed because it was the only choice. Turns out breastfeeding is by far and away the best choice as well. It’s excellent for the baby’s health and brain development. It’s excellent for the mother’s health and well-being, too.
And, whether a baby is breastfed or bottlefed, it’s certainly vital for babies to have a lot of close, skin-to-skin contact with their mothers and additional caregivers.
That’s why this bottle holder disturbs me. I keep picturing a 6-month-ancient strapped into a stroller or bouncy seat, parked in front of a television set for hours at a time, with a small hand clinging to the baby bottle holder and feeding herself.
Sadly, some parents might picture this scenario and reckon, “Wow, that sounds fantastic – that would sure keep her silent and pleased.” Silent, yes … pleased, I don’t reckon so. Babies and young children need lots of like to renovate and thrive. For them, like means being held and comforted.
And feeding time for babies should be a time when they are held and cuddled, with their head and bodies supported by whoever is feeding them.
I worry about a baby lying flat on her back and using this bottle holder to drink, and then choking – and no one around to help her.
That being said, I can see this product being useful in some situations – for anyone caring for twins or a number of children at one time, it could be quite helpful. But I would never want to see it used regularly or as a substitute for holding and feeding a baby who needs that human touch.
Kathryn B. Brown worked as a registered nurse and a family nurse practitioner before going to work for the East Oregonian in Pendleton, sister paper to The Day after day Astorian. She can be reached at kbbrown@eastoregonian.com
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