I am disturbed by a recent national survey that shows moms are not receiving advice from their doctors on how best to care for their newborns.
Of the 1,000 mothers surveyed with infants ages 2-6 months, many said they received inadequate or inaccurate advice, even from physicians, on five important infant care issues, including vaccines, breastfeeding, sleep position, sleep location and pacifier use.
Mothers reported that their pediatricians were the most common source of advice (followed by the Internet and friends/family).
Roughly 20 percent of moms said they received no advice from their child’s doctor about breastfeeding or sleep position, and more than 50 percent said no physician talked to them about sleep location and pacifier use. In addition, the advice they received from family members or the media was inconsistent with American Academy of Pediatrics guidelines more than half the time.
Here are my conclusions from reading this survey: Parents need good, solid medical advice about their newborn. The purpose of the Eugene Pediatric Associates public website is exactly that—to share with parents guidelines that are supported by the American Academy of Pediatrics. We are proud of our website. Since its launch in 2009, eugenepeds.com has received over a half million visits by people nationwide and from 97 nations around the world.
Vaccines are life-saving and crucial to your baby’s health, as well as the well-being of our entire community. Learn more in the Vaccines section.
Babies should sleep on their backs, on a firm surface that’s designed for infants; they should also be in the same room as their mother until 4- to 6-months-old. Find additional information here.
Pacifiers are useful for young babies who prefer to have something in their mouth as a source of comfort between feedings. Pacifiers can be introduced after breastfeeding is well established, usually between ages 2-4 weeks.
Our goal is to provide advice through our website and medical providers that is correct and complete. Don’t hesitate to ask us questions. We will continue to strive to give you the most important and timely advice possible at Eugene Pediatrics.