I AM still nagged by guilt over the knowledge our son was barely at primary school when Santa brought him a Game Boy. Did Pikachu rob him of his childhood? Did Super Mario make him a brain-dead screen junkie? It has been a recurring worry.

However, reflecting on the 22-year-old product of such a reckless upbringing, I’m reasonably reassured that no lasting damage was done by Pokemon and pals.

So should furniture designer Gary Taylor be concerned over the criticism he has received for making a cot with a built-in iPad for his nine-month-old baby?

The pioneering dad, owner of Birmingham furniture company Babeek, designed the £1500 cot after having problems putting daughter Graysie to bed. He says the iPad plays soothing white noise and makes life easier for parents who have trouble transporting their child to the land of nod. Sleep-deprived parents will be wondering what’s not to like – except the price, that is.

However, there has been a backlash. Among the critics is chartered educational psychologist Dr Gary Allen, who called the cot “outrageous”. He warned that the iPad could also be used to keep children occupied when they should be receiving parental attention.

Allen said: “Given the available literature surrounding screens and sleep and that of early attachment, creating a cot with a built-in iPad is simply outrageous.

“Whilst it could be argued that it could be used as a nightlight, to play soothing melodies or be a means for a parent to keep their eye on their child, it won’t be long before apps are developed simply to occupy a baby or child. Cots are a safe place for sleeping and resting – period.”

Now my parental guilt trip has taken a new turn, and I’m travelling back in time to the musical mobile that dangled over our baby’s cot. What were we thinking of, subjecting him to an entertaining distraction to occupy him in his cot when obviously we should have been giving him our undivided attention during every waking hour?! I’m amazed we escaped the attention of social services.

Taylor has defended the smart cot, saying that only lazy parents would even think of leaving their child in a cot for longer than half an hour. “It’s not to sit your child in the cot all day watching Peppa Pig,” he said.

But social media users – flying in the very face of the risk posed by digital technology – have been ablaze with criticism of the cot.

One Facebook post shrieked: “OMG!!! Have people not heard how addicting screen time is and how it changed the development of the brain and not in a good way. This is asinine.”

Another frothed: “Oh dear God no! Brain dead kids with parents who can’t be arsed to actually parent!”

A fellow offendee posted: “My God I hate seeing babies stuck in pushchairs with a phone or tablet shoved in their lap, lazy parenting at its best and now this.”

Judging by the level of outrage, young Graysie is obviously only days away from grabbing that iPad and downloading Snapchat.

Then again, probably not. I don’t think we need to lose too much sleep over half an hour of white noise at bedtime.