A mother whose baby daughter suffocated in her sleep under a large teddy bear is warning parents of the danger of soft toys. Show
Dexy Leigh Walsh, from Dundee, discovered that her 18-month-old daughter, Connie Rose, died in her sleep on March 6. The grieving mother says she stuffed the side of her daughter’s bed with teddy bears to prevent her from falling between the mattress and the wall – something she now describes as her “biggest regret in life.” RecommendedWalsh has now launched an online campaign, the Connie Rose Awareness Facebook page, in a bid to warn other parents of the dangers of leaving cuddly toys in children’s beds overnight. Reliving the experience on Facebook, she wrote: "On the 6th March 8.01am 2018 my life changed, I woke up to get my oldest ready for school to find my youngest baby had passed away. “I have been blaming myself as she passed away due to suffocation as I had packed down the side of her bed with teddy’s and placed a big one on top of the smaller teddy’s to stop her from falling down the side of her bed, and she did exactly that but as it was all teddy bears she went under the massive teddy and fell asleep with the angels [sic]. "All I think about now is what if I just left it empty she would still be here maybe with just a small bump on her head. It’s all what ifs now. “I want every parent to see and be aware of this. Let them fall don’t try to stuff small places up with soft things just leave it empty. Please move everything off your kids bed and away from the sides. “I really hope my little princesses tragic story can save someone else babies life [sic].” A spokesperson for The Lullaby Trust - a British charitable organisation aiming to prevent unexpected deaths in infancy – said: “The Lullaby Trust would like to extend its condolences to the family at this difficult time. “We advise that a baby’s sleeping space is kept as clear as possible, with no pillows, duvets, soft toys or cot bumpers. Recommended“Unnecessary items in a cot can increase the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) if a baby’s head becomes covered. Items such as soft toys and cot bumpers can also increase the risk of accidents. “Our safer sleep advice relating to reducing the risk of SIDS is relevant for babies under 12 months, after this age it is down to parental choice, but we are aware that some parents continue to follow safer sleep guidance after 12 months.”
Few things are more precious than seeing a little one snuggled up with a teddy bear. However, when the child is older — and still sleeping with stuffed animals — some parents find the idea more confusing than sweet. Here’s a snuggly secret, though: It’s totally OK. “There is no specific age when a child must stop sleeping with a stuffed animal,” says Dr. Jen Trachtenberg, a board-certified pediatrician in New York City. “Tweens and teens often continue to sleep with a stuffed animal or favorite childhood blanket, as it brings comfort and helps relax them to sleep as it did in younger years.” Concerned that your child is too old to be sleeping with stuffed animals? Don’t be. Here’s what the experts have to say about older kids and stuffed animals.
Is sleeping with stuffed animals normal?According to Erin Hawks, a child and adolescent psychologist at the Oklahoma University College of Medicine, it’s safe for children to start sleeping with a stuffed animal after the age of 1 (not before, as it poses safety risks); and from then on, sleeping with stuffed toys is “perfectly normal,” even into teenagehood. Lauren Schapiro, a psychotherapist at Liz Morrison Therapy in New York City, agrees. “There is no age when kids should stop sleeping with stuffed animals,” she explains. “Stuffed animals serve many different purposes for children and even adults. Some use stuffed animals to connect them to important relationships or past events in their life. Others may use them as a coping strategy when dealing with life stressors. Regardless of the reason, it is completely normal.”
Is it normal for a teenager to sleep with a stuffed animal?Not only is it considered normal for teens to sleep with a stuffed animal, there are even benefits to sleeping with a teddy bear at 16 or so. “Research shows that anxiety is on the rise for the teen population,” explains Meghan Sutton, a marriage and family therapist at Howard Phillips Center for Children and Families at Orlando Health Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children. “Teaching teens coping skills is critical for building resilience. Coping skills are self-soothing activities that can help in the healthy management of emotions when life feels tough.” “While we typically think of younger children using stuffed animals as a self-soothing practice during bedtime, it is not out of the ordinary for older children and teens to continue with this behavior,” Sutton continues. “The idea of a teen using a stuffed animal as a self-soothing skill is a completely acceptable, safe and appropriate response to dealing with life’s stressors, with no known, long-term negative effects.”
Why do children sleep with stuffed animals?While young children are often given stuffed animals to sleep with, as it helps soothe them and aid with the transition to bedtime (more on this shortly), older kids continue to sleep with them for a number of reasons. “Perhaps the stuffed animal was given to them from a significant loved one or it represents a positive memory from their childhood? Either way, stuffed animals can be a helpful tool in decreasing feelings of anxiety,” Sutton explains. “By holding the stuffed animal, tweens and teens are experiencing a feeling of comfort and calm and are able to self-soothe.” Benefits of sleeping with a teddy bear (or stuffed animal)Sleeping with a stuffed animal can be helpful for kids for a variety of reasons, regardless of age. Here are some of the benefits, according to Sutton:
Do stuffed animals help you sleep?Trachtenberg notes that, in many cases, kids haven’t honed the skill of falling — and staying — asleep without a stuffed animal, so having one can be key in getting a good night’s rest. “Often kids haven’t learned to self-soothe or put themselves back to sleep without a stuffed animal, so it’s not uncommon for it to become a habit or even ritual in order to sleep,” she says. Does sleeping with a stuffed animal help anxiety?Yes! Trachtenberg, Sutton, Hawks and Schapiro all agree that stuffed animals can all help alleviate anxiety. Soft, plush stuffed animals are easy for kids to hold onto, and here are some of the positive effects they can have:
Stuffed animals can also be crucial for kids who’ve experienced trauma. “In one study, children between 2 and 7 years old who had been displaced to a camp during a war showed faster reduction of stress responses when they were given a stuffed animal and encouraged to care for it, compared with children who did not receive a stuffed animal,” Hawks notes. “This suggests stuffed animals may be helpful stress-reducers.” While sleeping with a stuffed animal doesn’t directly cause any negative long-term effects, there are a few things to keep in mind. “If a child is older and can’t sleep without a specific stuffed animal, it can be an issue if they lose it or it falls apart,” Trachtenberg says. “Additionally, it may draw negative comments from peers or friends at places, such as sleep-away camp.” Schapiro adds that sleeping with a stuffed animal could be an issue if it is “damaging to one’s daily functioning and interpersonal relationships.” For instance, she says, “If an individual feels they cannot participate in daily activities or socialize because they are dependent on the stuffed animal or cannot leave the stuffed animal behind, then it would potentially become a problem. But in general, it is perfectly acceptable and normal to sleep with a stuffed animal.” |