Take Magazine Images with a Grain of Salt

Parenting magazines are fairly popular, especially among new parents. They offer great articles on the latest research into raising happy and healthy children. They offer reviews of the latest toys and gadgets. What they aren’t doing, though, is depicting children in a safe manner.

A recent study of two of the best-selling magazines for parents shows that one in six advertisements depict children doing things that are unsafe or not utilizing recommended safety equipment. What are we talking about?

According to Dr. Michael Pitt of the University of Minnesota at Minneapolis says that just about every sixth ad in a parenting magazine has a violation of American Academy of Pediatrics policies. For example, children may be depicted boating without a life jacket. Babies are pictures in cribs on their stomachs and not on their backs. Toddlers are seen snacking on popcorn even though the food isn’t recommended for children under the age of 5 due to the possible choking hazard.

Researchers are not calling for a major revamp of these magazines, but they are hoping that they will take the time to review the images that they are including in their pages. Doctors and other health officials also want parents to understand that these photographic images are often edited for style, and they do not necessarily reflect best practices. Read them too often, and you may think that the behaviors shown, or not shown, in the magazines are normal.

No matter what you see in the glossy pages of your favorite parenting magazine, health officials caution that recommendations from the AAP should be first and foremost in your mind. You know your child should wear a helmet when riding a bike. Life jackets are essential while riding in a boat. Sleeping on the back is what is recommended for infants.

Do not let photographs in magazines confuse you. They are stylized to sell a product, even if that product is the magazine itself.

If your child has been hurt in an accident, you need a personal injury attorney on your side. Whether by a defective product or someone’s poor judgment, your child does not deserve to suffer with pain or ill health. Call our offices today and let us help you get the compensation you may be entitled to by law.