William Atkins
Monday, 17 August 2009 18:53
Science -
Health
Page 1 of 3
A U.S. study by pediatricians concludes that over one-third of photographs in mainstream magazines, which show babies asleep, are depicting unsafe sleep positions according to doctors’ recommendations. Such pictures increase the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).
The study was lead by SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome) researchers Rachel Moon (Children’s National Medical Center and George Washington University) and Brandi Joyner (of Children’s National Medical Center, Washington , D.C.), and also includes Carmen Gill-Bailey (Howard University, Washington, D.C.).
The article “
Infant Sleep Environments Depicted in Magazines Targeted to Women of Childbearing Age,” was published online on August 17, 2009 in the journal
Pediatrics (doi:10.1542/peds.2008-3735).
The researchers evaluated photographs and pictures in magazines that are widely read by women of childbearing age.
Specifically, they wanted to see if these magazines adhered to the guidelines set forth by the American Academy of Pediatrics (
AAP) for safe infant sleep practices.
Twenty magazines were evaluated based on the premise that each had an average female readership of over five million, a circulation of over nine hundred thousand, and a median age of female readers of 20 to 40 years.
Another eight magazines were also included because they targeted readers who were expectant parents and parents of young children.
Please read page two for the results of the baby sleep and magazine study.
