Why Swedish Parents Let Babies Sleep Outside in Freezing Weather — And What the Science Says

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A viral TikTok video has sparked fierce debate about a parenting practice that might seem shocking to many Americans but has been standard in Scandinavian countries for generations.

Dammylene Natnat, a 31-year-old mother living in Sweden, took to TikTok on January 2 to share footage that has since captivated millions of viewers worldwide. The video shows her opening her door to reveal her two-year-old son Colin sleeping peacefully in a stroller—left outside in the snow.

“I left my toddler alone outside in snow for an hour,” Natnat wrote in the video’s text overlay.

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The clip ignited a firestorm in the comments. American viewers, in particular, expressed alarm.

“This is what we call a CPS case in America,” one comm...