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Viral video of robot cot rocking baby to sleep sparks debate among parents
Is the robot cot an ingenious idea or an unnecessary invention?
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A video depicting a baby being rocked to sleep in a robot cot has gone viral, with some commenters describing parents who use the product as “lazy”.
Coping with a baby who doesn’t sleep through the night can be a strenuous and testing task.
Some parents, including celebrity couple Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis, have decided to use the Snoo Smart Sleeper, a “responsive bassinet” that automatically responds to a restless baby by gently rocking the baby and emitting soothing sounds.
While sleep-deprived parents may view this product as a godsend, others have expressed their strong disapproval.
A video demonstrating how the robot cot works has been shared more than 400,000 times on Facebook and has sparked a huge debate.
“How incredibly sad. Mothers need to spend their time bonding,” one person wrote.
“This is going to affect psychological development. Sure the odd time in a swing may be okay but think of the people using this as a substitute mother.”
Another person remarked: “This is vile and disgusting! Why would you want to literally pin your baby down and shake them to sleep!?”
However, some have said that people shouldn’t be so quick to judge parents who choose to use the cot to help their babies drift off when their young ones are having trouble drifting off.
“I’m not here for this rocker at all but I’m really disheartened by all the people calling parents lazy,” someone commented.
“Unless you have a colicky or very temperamental baby you have no idea.”
The Snoo Smart Sleeper, created by Happiest Baby, was developed by Dr Harvey Karp.
Dr Karp is an American pediatrician and children’s environmental health advocate and has written several books on parenting.
According to the Happiest Baby website, the cot is the only bed to have met all of the safety standards laid out by the American Academy of Pediatrics.
One mother pointed out on Facebook that parents may not use the cot all the time, but may instead opt to use it every now and then when they need to rest or when they need to give their other children some more attention.
“I was beyond sleep-deprived with my second child,” she wrote. “I absolutely would have bought this.”
All discussions aside, the price of $1,160 (£832.35) for the Snoo Smart Sleeper may be enough to persuade parents to opt for the traditional cot when baby shopping.
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