By Jane Luscombe
A new study has found many parents rely on Google for health advice for their babies – but too often that information is wrong.
And it’s made worse by the images they see in magazines.
Most people have, at one time or another, turned to Google for quick, simple advice. A US study found 60 percent of people have used the internet to find health information.
Of those, 72 percent believed most or all of what they read.
The Journal of Paediatrics searched for advice about infant sleep safety using 13 key phrases. It found fewer than half the sites listed on Google contained accurate information.
It matters because more infants aged between one month and one year die from sudden unexpected death syndrome in New Zealand than any other cause.
The biggest problem is parents who share a bed with their babies. The study found a search of the phrases ‘infant bed sharing’ and ‘infant co sleeping’ were most likely to produce inaccurate information.
Dr Elder has another concern - the images of babies shown in women’s magazines.
In a different study, one third of magazine pictures showed infants sleeping in the wrong position – all babies should sleep on their backs.
Two thirds of pictures didn’t fit in with health recommendations, including avoiding loose blankets, pillows and removing toys.
For any parent who is unsure, all the advice is in the Wellchild book every baby gets at birth.
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