How we check information

Where our information comes from

We prefer sources that issue recommendations and are accountable for them:

• international health organisations: the World Health Organization (WHO), together with UNICEF on breastfeeding,
• national health services and professional bodies: the UK’s NHS, the US CDC and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), Ireland’s HSE,
• specialist bodies on babywearing: the International Hip Dysplasia Institute (IHDI), the UK Sling Consortium of sling manufacturers and retailers with its T.I.C.K.S. rule, RoSPA and The Lullaby Trust, and the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC),
• standards: European CEN standards, for example EN 13209-2 for soft carriers,
• Slovak sources: the Labour Code (Zákonník práce) on Slov-Lex, the National Labour Inspectorate (Národný inšpektorát práce), and the lists published by Slovak maternity hospitals (pôrodnice),
• Slovak professional associations, for example MAMILA with its list of lactation consultants (laktačné poradkyne), when we point you towards help.

Why many sources are not Slovak

On topics such as babywearing, storing breast milk or dressing a baby for the temperature, Slovak institutions so far publish few detailed materials for parents. Where a Slovak source exists (laws, maternity hospitals), we prefer it. With foreign recommendations we point out where they may differ from Slovak practice, and we recommend checking with your doctor.

In the English edition, sources that are only available in Slovak are marked “(in Slovak)”.

Numbers in the text and the Where this comes from panel

After a sentence that is based on a source there is a small number. Clicking it takes you to the end of the article, to the panel Where this comes from, which gives the publisher, the title of the document and a link. If an article makes no health claims (for example a comparison of clothing cuts), the panel says so and cites no sources.

What the date means

Every article shows an “Updated” date. It is the day we went through the text and checked that the sources still say what we cite. Recommendations change, so treat older dates as a signal to check the current position.

What we don’t do

• Our articles are not reviewed by doctors or lactation specialists. We do not claim otherwise.
• We do not combine sources so as to produce advice that none of them gives.
• We do not invent numbers. For example, the tables of how many items of clothing to buy are marked as our estimate, not as an authority’s recommendation.
• If we cannot check something, we leave it out. Specifically: we do not draw the steps for tying wraps, we give no maximum carrying time and we do not recommend specific products.

Tools

The size finder works from the WHO growth standards and the European standard for clothing size designation. The Wrap or carrier? helper is an editorial aid based on the properties of each type and does not assess the safety of specific products. The hospital bag list is based on the lists of Slovak maternity hospitals and on recommendations from the NHS and the NCT.

You can report a mistake or out-of-date information as described in our editorial policy.