Love them or loathe them, there’s no denying that Kim Kardashian-West and husband, Kanye West make up one of Hollywood’s most influential power couples. And as such, everything from their lifestyle, their children’s names, their fashion and their relationship spends quality time under the often judgemental microscope of fans and trolls alike.
For the most part its easy to imagine them laughing off the criticisms while rolling in a pile of money, but right now they’re copping some heat that they might want to sit up and take note of. And it’s all to do with their brand new son, Psalm West and the way he sleeps.
Welcomed into the world via surrogate on May 10, little Psalm joined older siblings, sister North (five), brother Saint (three) and sister Chicago (one). That makes him the fourth child for the celebrity couple, which you think would give them some credibility on the parenting scene. But it seems even veteran parents can make rookie errors.
Perhaps surprisingly, little Psalm’s digital footprint, so far, has been pretty light.
Kim officially announced his arrival with a simple tweet (above) which included some images of her baby shower alongside the caption: “We celebrated our baby boy about a week ago and now he’s here! He’s so perfect! Here are some pics of my CBD baby shower. I was freaking out for nothing because he is the most calm and chill of all of my babies so far and everyone loves him so much.”
Since then the only glimpse we’ve had of his sweet little face, was another tweet where Kim shared a screenshot of husband Kanye’s Mother’s Day message, taking the opportunity to announce her new baby’s name to the world.
The reactions were swift. There were those who congratulated the new parents, and of course there was much chatter about the name, but there was one common them that ran throughout the thread and it all had to do with the way Psalm was sleeping.
“Anyone else freaking out about all the blankets & bumpers?! American Academy of Pediatrics recommends keeping the crib free of blankets & pillows until baby is 12 months old, as these can create a suffocation hazard,” penned one concerned onlooker.
“Please follow safe sleep habits. It can reduce the risk of SIDS. Everything about this picture causes me anxiety. #SIDSAwareness #LostMyDaughterToSIDS #LoveTheKardashians” begged another.
“This is how NOT to put your baby down to sleep!!” demanded once upset fan. “Hoping this reaches other mothers and educates on safer sleeping! the snuggle pod should NOT be used in a cot at night time. The baby should NOT be overwrapped. the baby should NOT have a hat on in the house. The head should be allowed to release excess heat and there should be NO cot bumpers!!! Feet should be positioned at the bottom of the cot, baby not placed in the middle!!!”
Red Nose Australia agrees.
According to their recommendations, “Soft bedding is dangerous in a cot and should not be used. Soft bedding includes pillows, quilts, doonas, soft toys and bumpers. Soft bedding may cover the baby’s face and obstruct breathing and/or cause overheating.”
Their recommendations for best sleeping practices for babies are:
Sleep your baby on his back from birth, not on his tummy or side.
Sleep your baby with his face and head uncovered and free from bedding, pillows and toys.
Avoid exposing your baby to tobacco smoke before birth and after.
Provide a safe sleeping environment with safe furniture and bedding: this means no quilts, doonas, duvets or pillows in cot.
Sleep your baby in his own safe sleeping place in the same room as you for the first six to twelve months.
Breastfeed if you can.
Dos
Place your baby on her back to sleep from birth.
Sleep your baby with her face and head uncovered at all times.
Dress your baby in clothing appropriate for the weather.
Encourage tummy time when your baby is awake and being supervised by an adult.
Don’ts
Never sleep your baby on his tummy or side in any environment, even when resting on an adult’s chest.
Never leave your baby surrounded by loose bedding, toys or clothing.
Don’t sleep your baby on a tri-pillow (boomerang pillow), bean bag or hammock.
Don’t expose your baby to cigarette smoke.
WATCH: Kim Kardashian talks pursuing Kanye West. Continues after video …
There’s every chance that little Psalm was just placed in this pic for the photo alone. Nobody knows how long he was in there for, this is true.
But as influencers, there’s every chance that people will want to parent the same way that Kim and Kanye do, and for that reason they might want to try a little harder to get it right.
SIDS is no joke. For more information visit Red Nose Australia.