Social media divided on hospital sign about using phones around babies

By Genevieve Shaw Brown

A tweeted image of what one Twitter user claims is a sign in a hospital's baby ward seeming to suggest parents put down their cellphones and pay attention to their newborns, is dividing parents on social media.

In a tweet earlier this month, a user by the name of Ash Cottrell posted a photo claimed to have been taken in an SCBU (special care baby unit) at a U.K. hospital where he was with his 5-day-old. The sign, Cottrell posted, "makes me sad."

The tweet prompted parents across social media to express agreement with the sign's suggestion or to condemn it for parent-shaming.

I’m on SCBU with my 5 day old. This poster makes me sad... pic.twitter.com/GYDgcgUtN2

— Ash Cottrell (@dr_cottrella) January 5, 2020

"Dear new parent in an impossibly scary and worrying situation - we, your baby’s caregivers, will use emotional manipulation while leaving kisses & pretending to be the voice of your child. We hope you continue to trust us to make good decisions for your little one, one commentor wrote.

Dear new parent in an impossibly scary and worrying situation - we, your baby’s caregivers, will use emotional manipulation while leaving kisses & pretending to be the voice of your child. We hope you continue to trust us to make good decisions for your little one

— Dr Charlie Briar (@charlie_girl) January 5, 2020

"This poster is awful and needs to be removed. This shames new mothers ... I'm quite angry that the department felt like this was an appropriate thing to put on the wall," wrote another.

But there were plenty of people who supported the sign.

"Pretty sad that you cannot see that your newborn is actually interacting with you in his/her own way," wrote Janice Macaux. "Looking at and talking to your baby is one of the best ways to connect. They are still looking at you while they are feeding. Cannot believe that you get bored so easily."

Pretty sad that you cannot see that your newborn is actually interacting with you in his/her own way. Looking at and talking to your baby is one of the best ways to connect. They are still looking at you while they are feeding. Cannot believe that you get bored so easily.

— Janice Macaux (@JaniceMacaux) January 18, 2020

"Very Well said makes many ppl SAD still most of #mothers nowadays don't understand seriousness they're causing due to having #mobile near babies Also it wld show up later in life as its the #child life which is a HUGE risk which for their comfort they're ready to forgo #childhood"

Very Well said makes many ppl SAD still most of #mothers nowadays don't understand seriousness they're causing due to having #mobile near babies Also it wld show up later in life as its the #child life which is a HUGE risk which for their comfort they're ready to forgo #childhood

— Ami Shah (@amiyshah) January 18, 2020

Cottrell also clarified in a later tweet, "I was sad only that such a sign needed to be printed at all. I agree with its sentiments entirely."

One of the more balanced responses came from a user named Aimee Feltham.

"Yea babies are much more interesting than our phones but we also need advice or support or connect with other people when feeling very lonely in hospital. Babies are super cute but not great conversationalists and the middle of the night can feel very overwhelming," she wrote.