Every parent’s fear when putting an infant to sleep is Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)—the sudden unexplainable death of an otherwise healthy baby. In the United States, about 2,000 infants die each year of SIDS, the third leading cause of infant death. For $199, parents can buy monitors that track babies’ vital signs, such as respiration, heart rate, skin temperature, sleeping position, and quality of sleep. The Mimo Smart Baby Monitor is a cute clip-on turtle that attaches to a special organic cotton onesie, and the Owlet Baby Monitor is a smart sock that looks like a little toeless boot. If parents don’t want to attach these devices on their little ones, they can opt for the SafeToSleep Breathing Monitor sheet with a built-in monitor. All of these devices stream data to parents’ smartphones. Manufacturers of these devices promote them to parents for “your baby’s health” or to give “that extra assurance” to protect against SIDS. However, several government agencies such as the Food and Drug Administration, the Consumer Product Safety Commission, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the National Institutes of Health as well as the American Academy of Pediatrics all agree that these devices cannot protect a baby from SIDS. But fear sells, and most of these manufacturers cannot keep up with the demand for their products. Discuss other examples of marketers using emotion to sell products. Are they ethical?
Every parent’s fear when putting an infant to sleep is Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)—the sudden unexplainable death of an otherwise healthy baby. In the United States, about 2,000 infants die each year of SIDS, the third leading cause of infant death. For $199, parents can buy monitors that track babies’ vital signs, such as respiration, heart rate, skin temperature, sleeping position, and quality of sleep. The Mimo Smart Baby Monitor is a cute clip-on turtle that attaches to a special organic cotton onesie, and the Owlet Baby Monitor is a smart sock that looks like a little toeless boot. If parents don’t want to attach these devices on their little ones, they can opt for the SafeToSleep Breathing Monitor sheet with a built-in monitor. All of these devices stream data to parents’ smartphones. Manufacturers of these devices promote them to parents for “your baby’s health” or to give “that extra assurance” to protect against SIDS. However, several government agencies such as the Food and Drug Administration, the Consumer Product Safety Commission, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the National Institutes of Health as well as the American Academy of Pediatrics all agree that these devices cannot protect a baby from SIDS. But fear sells, and most of these manufacturers cannot keep up with the demand for their products. Discuss other examples of marketers using emotion to sell products. Are they ethical?
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