When you’re a new parent, you want to make sure that you’re doing everything you can to keep them safe, healthy, and happy. There’s a lot you can do to ensure this. Placing your baby in a sᴀFᴇ position when they sleep is very easy, but it can make a big difference to your baby’s health.
Recent ʀᴇsᴇᴀʀᴄʜ from ɴᴜᴍᴇʀᴏᴜs ᴡᴏʀʟᴅᴡɪᴅᴇ sᴛᴜᴅɪᴇs has shown there is a connection between the sleeping positions of babies and sᴜᴅᴅᴇɴ ɪɴFᴀɴᴛ ᴅᴇᴀᴛʜ sʏɴᴅʀᴏᴍᴇ (ˢᴵᴰˢ), and the ʀɪsᴋ is ɢʀᴇᴀᴛʟʏ ʀᴇᴅᴜᴄᴇᴅ if your baby sleeps on their back. And, a new sᴛᴜᴅʏ has ʀᴇᴠᴇᴀʟᴇᴅ that only 43.7% of the mothers in the ᵁˢ make their toddlers sleep on their tiny backs, or intend to do the same every time their happy camper decides to take a snooze break . The rest of them do not folʟᴏᴡ this sᴀFᴇ and sound sleeping practice.
1.Is it sᴀғᴇ? Sleeping comes naturally to most adults, so it’s easy to underestimate how important it is for your newborn to sleep sᴀғᴇly. But creating a sᴀFᴇ environment for your baby to sleep in is one of the most crucial things you can do while they’re ɪɴFᴀɴᴛs. The sᴀғᴇst position for a baby to sleep is on their back. Some people mistakenly believe that side sleeping is sᴀғᴇr for babies who ᴠᴏᴍɪᴛ ᴏʀ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ʀᴇFʟᴜx, but this is ᴜɴᴛʀᴜᴇ. Babies with ʀᴇFʟᴜx are no more likely to ᴄʜᴏᴋᴇ when they sleep on their backs. Such ᴍɪsᴄᴏɴᴄᴇᴘᴛɪᴏɴs could ᴘʀᴏᴠᴇ Fᴀᴛᴀʟ for the baby. So, as mothers you should be careful of the position your baby sleeps in.
Why is it sᴀғᴇʀ for baby to sleep on its back?
• Oxʏɢᴇɴ ʟᴇᴠᴇʟs: A baby sleeping on its stomach may be lying with its face so close to the sheets. The baby might ʀᴇ-ʙʀᴇᴀᴛʜᴇ the ᴀɪʀ that they’ve already ᴇxʜᴀʟᴇᴅ, which could lead to ʟᴏᴡ Oxʏɢᴇɴ ʟᴇᴠᴇʟs and ᴄᴀʀʙᴏɴ ᴅɪᴏxɪᴅᴇ ʙᴜɪʟᴅᴜᴘ
• To ᴀᴠᴏɪᴅ sᴜFFᴏᴄᴀᴛɪᴏɴ: Another possibility is that a baby can sᴜFFᴏᴄᴀᴛᴇ when sleeping on his or her stomach on a mattress that’s too soft and yielding.
• Mᴀᴛᴛʀᴇss ᴍɪᴄʀᴏʙᴇs: It may be ᴅᴀɴɢᴇʀᴏᴜs for a baby to lie with its face against the mattress, which could ᴄᴏɴᴛᴀɪɴ ᴍɪᴄʀᴏʙᴇs that can ɪɴᴛᴇʀFᴇʀᴇ with the baby’s ʙʀᴇᴀᴛʜɪɴɢ . Aʙɴᴏʀᴍᴀʟʟʏ ʜɪɢʜ ʙʟᴏᴏᴅ ᴘʀᴇssᴜʀᴇ and ʜᴇᴀʀᴛ ʀᴀᴛᴇ while sleeping
4.Should all babies sleep on their backs? Your baby should always sleep on its back, unless you have been given ᴍᴇᴅɪᴄᴀʟ ᴀᴅᴠɪᴄᴇ to the contrary. In ʀᴀʀᴇ ᴄᴀsᴇs, your baby may sᴜFFᴇʀ from a ᴄᴏɴᴅɪᴛɪᴏɴ that means a ᴅᴏᴄᴛᴏʀ will advise you which position your baby should sleep in.
5.How to change baby sleeping positions : Some babies sleep better on their stomach or side. In fact, this is what can make these positions so ᴅᴀɴɢᴇʀᴏᴜs. Babies enter deeper sleep for longer and may be more difficult to awaken. They may not wake up if they cannot ʙʀᴇᴀᴛʜᴇ or need to move.
So, consistency is the best technique to get your baby to sleep on their back. Swaddling your baby can help them feel more secure, which is one of the things they seek when they roll on to their stomach. Use a swaddling blanket until your baby is old enough to remove it on their own. Once this happens, which could be as early as two months old, you can use a sleeping sack meant for babies, which they won’t be able to take off. Change a baby’s sleep position is to begin putting them to sleep on their back. Parents and caregivers may need to help the baby slowly adapt to this new position by nursing them to sleep before bed, gently rubbing their belly, singing to them while they fall asleep, or rocking them. To make sleeping in a crib safer for your baby, avoid using blankets, comforters, or pillows. You should also keep their crib clear of other objects such as bottles, cups, toys, and teethers. It is best to focus on putting the baby to sleep on their back.
