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.
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