Mum urges fellow parents not to put 'cute' headbands on babies as they could be 'unsafe'
The mum issued a stark warning to other parents about putting 'cute' headbands on babies, as she said the elastic fashion accessory could be 'unsafe' for little ones
A mum has urged parents to stop putting headbands on their babies as they could be "unsafe" if left on for long periods of time, or if left unattended.
The woman, named Katie, took to social media to share a now-viral video in which she admitted she used to put the cute elasticated accessory on her daughter until she learned how "dangerous" they can be.
And after discovering the truth about the headbands for herself, Katie now wants to make sure other parents are aware of the dangers they can pose, so they can make their own decisions about their baby's headbands.
In a video shared to her @katieandariam account on TikTok, the mum said: "Two reasons why I stopped putting headbands on my baby. The first was enough for me to stop, and the second is something I learned recently, so I thought I would share them [both]."
Katie's first point was that headbands "are unsafe without supervision", as she recalled a time when her daughter's headband slipped down off her head while she was travelling in a car.
She explained: "There are risks that you would not associate with certain things, especially being a first-time mum.
"One time, we were driving back from somewhere and my little girl's headband had moved from the top of her head to cover her eyes. Luckily I caught this straight away because I have a mirror [in my car] but I was the only person in the car, so can you imagine the panic I went through?
"As your little one shifts and moves about, especially when they're sleeping, the elastic can become a real danger to them. It can cause suffocation and it can cause strangulation. If that headband had crept down just a little bit more, that could have blocked her breathing."
The mum's second point highlighted the dangers around the tightness of the headband, as it could be too tight for your baby without you realising it.
She continued: "If you think about it, as adults, when we wear headbands they can give us a bit of a headache after some time if they're too tight. They're uncomfortable and babies can't tell us this.
"In those first six to nine months, your baby's head is going to double, so it's not something you want to be putting on the baby when their head is growing."
Katie insisted she wasn't trying to start a "debate" about headbands and said she still thinks parents should make their own decisions about what their children wear, but added that she felt it was important to "spread a bit of awareness".
And Katie's comments have been backed up by Kate Holmes of the safer-sleep charity The Lullaby Trust, who previously told Made For Mums that headbands are not recommended while a baby is sleeping.
The expert said: "We recommend that babies do not have their head or face covered while sleeping. Head-covering can lead to overheating which can increase the risk of SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome) or suffocation."
While Australian website CPR Kids suggests only putting a headband on a child for a short period of time, such as to take a quick photo of how adorable they look.
They stated: "The overall 'rule' we suggest when it comes to headbands (and any sort of hair accessories on baby such as clips and easily removed elastics) – they are fine for a photo or while being held by someone, but please don't leave a headband on a baby if they aren't close, awake and in direct active supervision."
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