Healthy Sleeping Positions for Baby

Healthy Sleeping Positions for Baby

After reviewing current data on sudden infant death syndrome, or SIDS, the American Academy of Pediatrics released recommendations that healthy infants should be place on their backs to sleep. HealthyChildren.org’s article on safe infant sleeping positions holds that there’s no evidence that infants who lie on their backs are more likely to choke when they’re placed on their backs.

Sudden Infant Death Syndrome

SIDS is a potential danger for every young infant, but it seems that certain babies may have areas of the brain that aren’t yet matured, and those underdeveloped regions can make SIDS more likely. Since it’s still impossible to tell which babies are predisposed to higher SIDS risks, current recommendations are for all babies to be settled on their backs to sleep.

Other Concerns About Sleeping Position

Putting your baby to sleep on his or her back may be a lifesaver, but only in some cases. Make sure your baby isn’t sleeping on very soft or porous surfaces like pillows or thick blankets. Even a stuffed animal can block a young infant’s breathing if he snuggles his face up against it in his sleep. Wait ‘til your newborn is more than six months old before letting him or her sleep with stuffed animals, and ‘til an infant is more than a year old before adding pillows or quilts.

Sometimes there are good reasons for settling your infant on his or her stomach to sleep. Talk to your pediatrician about your own circumstances to help you decide what’s best for you and your baby.

What position do you put your newborn in to sleep? Does your infant stay in that position all night?

Author Bio: +Michelle Gordon is a sleep expert who researches and writes about sleep and health, and is an online publisher for the latex mattress specialist Latexmattress.org