#35: Unfortunate Advice
There are always new approaches to parenting and child-rearing going around, and it seems that every generation has a new “right” way of raising kids. Some child-rearing advice, however, has had dire consequences. Dr. Spock published a famous handbook in the 1940s and 50s that recommended newborns should sleep on their stomachs.
Today, it’s commonly accepted that infants should sleep on their backs until they can roll over for themselves. However, many people took advice from Dr. Spock back in the day, which is why some researchers think there was an uptick in SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome). Dr. Spock isn’t an evil villain. He recommended stomach sleep because infants throw up a lot. He figured sleeping an infant on their stomach would reduce the risk of choking. He had no idea his advice would spark a whole new risk.