Nothing more tender than seeing men carrying their newborn babies; At least it seems very tender to me and a great demonstration of parental love.
One of the most popular photos is of the parents sleeping with their newborn baby on their chest; that one is very cute in particular, but behind that beautiful pose there is a very tragic story.
A history of pain after a tender posture when sleeping
By 2010, Dr. Sam Hanke had just become a father. One afternoon he fell asleep with his little 4-week-old son on his chest. When he woke up a few hours later, he discovered that his little boy had died.
The boy was healthy, so he had a relatively healthy lifetime; therefore, his death had not been caused by illness.
Hanke’s son lost his life to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, but it’s not the only case.
What is sudden infant death syndrome?
This syndrome consists of the death of a nursing baby of indeterminate causes. That is, the baby dies and there is no specific explanation for it. The child may have died from an accident that caused suffocation or strangulation. It can also happen that the baby dies from the effects of an infection or cardiac abnormalities (sudden natural death), or even from being the victim of a homicide.
Causes (one of them a little absurd, but no less dangerous)
Although the accidental deaths of lactating babies are detrimental, the reality is that the number of children who die from this syndrome each year (around 4,000 babies in the USA) is still significant.
In addition to a baby having undiagnosed heart disease, getting an infection, having an accident while sleeping in the car seat or stroller; one of the main causes of babies dying from the effects of this syndrome is the desire to imitate that “tender father-baby photograph on the chest while they sleep”
“Father and newborn baby” photos are very sensitive and make many want to imitate the situation, or at least that’s what Shontavia Jackson Johnson, who is director of Drake University’s Center for Intellectual Property Law, says.
Jackson maintains that this photograph generates a type of connection with the observer that becomes inevitable not to imitate it, and it is because the image of the father taking care of the baby is unusual in real life.
Sudden accidental infant death can be avoided
As we said, many babies die when sleeping, which amounts to an accident; just like what happened to Dr. Hanke’s baby. So the solution is predictable; that is, caring for the way the baby sleeps, offering a safe environment for rest.
1 Place your baby on his back to sleep, whether it is a nap or at night.
2 Make sure that the surface where the baby rests is firm and that the blanket that covers the mattress is well attached to it.
3 Do not use pillows and blankets to cover the baby. Dress him in comfortable, one-piece, warm clothing.
4 Remove any toys from your baby’s rest area.
5 Make sure that nothing can cover your child’s head or face.
6 Don’t let anyone at all smoke near your little boy.
7 If you are going to practice sleeping, take all the necessary precautions
8 Prevent your child from falling asleep in a sitting position in the case of using strollers or car seats, as he can strangle himself with the seat belt.