The Most Googled Baby Safety Topic in Your State

Moms, dads, aunties, grandparents, and more—nobody has all the answers when it comes to babies. Fortunately, we can just Google it.

We all want the best for our babies, and with Google on the job, there’s never been a more accessible resource when it comes to baby food safety, medicine dosages, or the latest baby product recalls.¹  This year we’ve seen everything from Goldfish Crackers and Honey Smacks to baby teething gels on the recall list.²  Keeping up with the latest in baby safety can be a challenge for any parent or caregiver.

Whether it’s a desire to stay on top of baby product safety headlines or worry about a high fever, people turn to Google for help with all kinds of baby conundrums. To find out just how much Americans rely on Google for infant insights, SafeWise delved into Google Trends data to find out what each state (and the District of Columbia) is Googling for its tiniest inhabitants.

• 31% of states are more into Googling baby shopping topics than anything else.
• Recalls and unsafe products was the top search category for only nine states.
• Only two states—Minnesota and Oregon—were most interested in exploring the great outdoors with baby.
• Curious about how to make a home safe for baby? You might live in California, Hawaii, Utah, or Washington—those four states Googled home safety the most.  
• Nearly 20% of the country is most concerned with baby sleeping safely through the night—and 40% of those queries were related to sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).
• 10 states are worried about sick babies, with the most Googled search term around respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).
• Folks in New Jersey may be surprised about the answers they get—“witch baby soap” was one of the most common search terms in the Garden State.

• The Midwest was most interested in shopping for baby monitors.
• Northeasterners want to know about baby registries (including which ones give out stuff for free!).
• Googlers in the Southeast are split between baby products and sick baby info, with 67% of all southeastern states searching in one of those categories.
• Recalls are on the minds of southwestern state Googlers—50% of southwestern searches were for recall info.
• Forget the Wild West—states in this region are all about creating safe home environments for baby.

• People love to Google celebrity babies. Over the past five years, 68% of all baby-related searches were looking for the latest dish on celeb babies and baby-related pop culture.
• In 2017, searchers were keeping up with Kardashian babies—“Kylie Jenner baby” was the top baby-related search, with “Khloe Kardashian baby” coming in second.
• In 2016, movies ruled baby searches. Boss Baby dominated the top three most-Googled searches, with Baby Driver taking number four. The only non-movie term in the top five was thanks to the Today show: “Hoda Kotb baby.”

Have you ever wondered about putting diapers on a dog or using breast milk as a healing tonic? We haven’t either. But it turns out lots of people make unexpected baby-related queries. Instead of keeping all these treasures to ourselves, here’s a peek at our favorite surprising baby questions. And, to keep things balanced, we threw in the most pragmatic baby questions we found.

This is one of the most-searched questions because specific information is so hard to find. Unfortunately, we aren’t going to be able to clear this up for you. Because each case is unique and babies and young children respond differently to medication, we recommend that you reach out to a medical professional for help. That is also the standard guidance from brands like Motrin (ibuprofen) and Tylenol (acetaminophen), especially for infants younger than six months.

Infant medicine dosage is typically based on weight, but age can be used if necessary. Always follow the dosage guidelines that come with the medicine, or refer to your doctor. Infants’ Motrin provides dosing information for children up to 23 months old. But Tylenol users need to consult their doctor for dosage information for all children under 24 months of age and less than 24 pounds.

Infants’ Motrin Dosing Chart

According to the Mayo Clinic, signs and symptoms of RSV include a runny nose or nasal congestion, a dry cough, a low-grade fever, a sore throat, and a mild headache. More extreme cases may demonstrate a severe cough, high fever, wheezing, rapid or difficult breathing, and bluish skin tone. Because an infant can’t tell you what they’re feeling, look for shallow or rapid breathing, lack of appetite, lethargy, and irritability.

Contrary to popular belief, baby walkers are not banned in the US. Canada banned baby walkers in 2004, and although the American Academy of Pediatrics has urged America to follow suit, it hasn’t happened yet. In lieu of outright bans, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) laid out a laundry list of new safety standards.

These guidelines are meant to mitigate the dangers of baby walkers. Those dangers include falls and access to items and areas that babies shouldn’t be allowed to navigate on their own. Think pools, fireplaces, and tabletops that might contain dangerous or poisonous items. According to the CPSC, nearly 15,000 infants under the age of 15 months were treated for walker-related injuries between 2004 and 2008. And eight children lost their lives during the same period.

The general consensus is that if your baby can turn themselves over onto their stomach during sleep, let them be. This usually happens around 6 months. However, you should always put your baby to sleep on their back until they’re at least 1 year old.

There is no way to eliminate the danger of SIDS completely. But there is a lot you can do to reduce risk factors. Here are some general guidelines:

• Don’t smoke in the home or around the baby.
• Don’t sleep with the baby in a bed or in a chair.
• Don’t place pillows, blankets, bumpers, or any other items in the crib with the baby.
• Don’t put the baby to sleep on their stomach.

Learn more in our crib safety guide.

Risk for SIDS is highest between 1 and 4 months of age, and it peaks between 2 and 3 months.

There are a number of baby monitors to choose from, and if range or picture clarity is the most important factor for you, be sure to compare that when you do your research. The baby monitor with the longest range on our baby monitors buyers guide is the VTech DM221 Digital Audio Baby Monitor. The VTech has a range of 1,000 feet. When it comes to the monitor with the best picture, our pick is the Infant Optics DXR-8 Video Baby Monitor. It features a full-color LCD display that measures 3.5 inches.

Before buying a baby monitor, every parent should identify which aspects are most important to them. We selected the top baby monitors based on features, price, range, audio and video clarity, and customer reviews. Some things to consider include: How long will the monitor last? Can it work later as a nanny cam? Is the technology the most up-to-date? What are the risks of using a Wi-Fi baby monitor?

It’s difficult to say definitively what the best baby proofing products are, but here are some products we consider must-haves when baby-proofing your home.

• Cabinet and drawer locks
• Outlet covers
• Baby gates
• Stove knob covers
• Toilet seat locks
• Door knob covers
• Furniture straps
• Cord minders

Make sure you select a rear-facing infant car seat that meets or exceeds Federal Crash Test Standards, Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards for Child Restraint Systems, and Federal Motor Vehicle Standards for Flammability of Interior Materials. Also look for car seats that have been tested for side-impact. And if you travel, you’ll want one that is certified for use in planes. SafeWise made its car seat recommendations for 2018 based on these criteria plus features, comfort, price, function, and customer satisfaction.

There are a million reasons to turn to Google with your baby questions, but we found that most of us search for fairly similar information. Americans google everything from how to keep babies safe and where to get free baby registry perks to what’s going on with our favorite celeb’s newest bundle of joy.

Whether your interests line up with the overall trends in your state or not, know that someone out there somewhere shares your curiosity about whether baby monitors emit radiation or if it’s okay to give baby formula to your puppy. But beware of Googling too much—remember WebMD is not your pediatrician. Rely on doctors and other real-life experts when it comes to keeping your bambino safe.

We analyzed data from Google Trends to identify some of the most common search terms in each state relating to baby safety. Then, to find the most Googled baby question in each state, we matched the terms for each state to the most common safety-related baby questions based on search volume. To identify trends over time and across regions, we looked at data over the past twelve months, as well as the past five years.

• At What Age Can a Child Be Left Alone
• Is Baby Powder Safe?
• Do I Need to Sterilize Bottles and Pacifiers After Every Use?
• How Can I Keep My Bathroom Safe for Kids?
• Surprising Playroom Hazards and How to Avoid Them

1. USA Today, “These Baby Foods and Formulas Tested Positive for Arsenic, Lead and BPA in New Study”; Parenting, “Recent Product Recalls”
2. NPR, “Pepperidge Farm Recalls Goldfish Crackers Amid Salmonella Scare”; CBS Moneywatch, “CDC Warning on Kellogg's Honey Smacks: 'Do Not Eat This Cereal'”; CNN, “FDA Warns That Benzocaine Teething Products Aren't Safe for Children”