Can I sleep on my stomach? Doctor's advice to young mothers

The birth of a child is always a unique event. No matter how many children are born, the questions that arise with young parents are always the same: how to dress a baby, how to feed properly, how to put a baby to bed? These questions arise in all young parents, which, however, does not detract from their importance and relevance. After all, each child is unique and unique.

Why is the pose in the dream so important?

The pose in which the infant should sleep, worries young parents the most. It would seem, let him sleep, as he would like. However, not all so simple. Because of the many publications in which the hypothesis was expressed about the connection between the syndrome of sudden infant death and the posture in which the baby sleeps, the question of whether a babe can sleep on the stomach, worries almost all parents. After all, the safety of the child is in the first place.

The Danger of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome

The syndrome of sudden infant death is many times described in the medical literature and, unfortunately, quite common phenomenon. Absolutely healthy child dies in a dream and at the same time no reasons that led to this tragic event can be identified.

The reason why outwardly absolutely healthy babies suddenly die in a dream is still not known. Stopping breathing is the only intelligible explanation. But why does this happen, nobody knows.

According to statistics, most often male babies die before the age of three months, often premature babies or babies born as a result of multiple pregnancies. Also, unfavorable factors include smoking parents, sleeping in a soft bed, an overheated room.

Do babies sleep on their stomachs?

The posture in the dream, which most newborn babies take, completely repeats the position in which they were all nine months of their pre-natal life. It is worth putting the baby on a flat surface, as he wants to curl up and lie down on his tummy. However, outside of the mother's womb, being in such a pose can be extremely dangerous for a newborn baby.

Before birth, the child receives oxygen through the placenta. The baby's voice gap is tightly closed, the lungs do not work. Once extracted on the surface, the child is forced to breathe on his own. If the baby accidentally dabs into a mattress or a pleat of sheets, then there is a high probability that he will simply suffocate, because he simply can not turn the head to the side. To control the muscles of the neck, most babies begin after 1-2 months. Moreover, the softer the mattress on which the child sleeps, the more the newborn suffers from suffocation.

Is it possible for a newborn to sleep on his back?

Most pediatricians, answering the question of parents, whether it is possible for a babe to sleep on the stomach, the answer is categorically negative. Independently to choose a pose for a dream to the child it will be possible to allow only when it will be capable itself to turn a head or to turn on a flank. Usually this happens at the age of 3-4 months. Before this age, the parents should choose the position for sleep. Some parents put their child to sleep on their backs. However, sleep on the back also can not be considered completely safe for a newborn baby.

The mode of the newborn's day consists of alternating sleep, eating and rare moments of wakefulness. You can say that most of the time the newborn sleeps. Some sleepers even prefer to eat in a dream. Together with milk, the baby inevitably swallows some air, which he then regurgitates.

Therefore, after feeding, it is recommended to hold the baby in a vertical position for a while, lightly patting the back. Sometimes the baby does not spew immediately, but after a while. If at this moment the child will sleep lying on his back, the vomit will get into the respiratory tract, and the baby will choke.

What is the safest position for a baby?

The newborn baby will be safest to sleep on his side. In this case, it is necessary to place the roller from the folded towel or diaper on the side under the head. This is done so that the baby does not turn the head in a dream. Lay the baby to sleep on the flank follows one or the other side. This will prevent deformation of the skull. Thanks to the unearthed fontanelle, the skull bones of newborns are sufficiently mobile, soft. Having got used to sleeping only on one side, the baby can lie on his head with a dent. As a result, the baby's head will become irregular in shape.

In what pose to sleep to the kid after 1 month

After the baby turns a month, it will be quite an unpleasant test. These are infant colic, which are nothing but intestinal spasms caused by excessive gas formation, and are painful enough for a baby. At this time, pediatricians strongly recommend to lay the baby on his tummy. It does not mean sleep on the stomach, but periodic re-laying, in order to facilitate the escape of gases.

However, even the baby himself, when sleeping, turns over on his stomach, trying to ease his condition. Attempts to turn the baby on the barrel are usually perceived extremely negatively. The baby is capricious and seeks to return to his favorite position. Trying to make a baby's sleep on his stomach safe is the only true and acceptable solution for everyone.

How to make a baby's sleep on his stomach safe

Never put the baby on pillows or soft feather beds. Burying his face in the pillow, the baby can easily suffocate. Do not wear baby blouses with strings, these ties may be wrapped around his neck.

When buying a crib for a baby, pay attention to the distance between the racks. They should not exceed 8-10 centimeters. If the gaps between the bars are larger, the baby can get stuck in them with a head. Do not cover the baby with a thick blanket, quilted quilts should not be used at all. If a child happens to be covered with such a blanket with his head, then it can remain without air.

The temperature of the air in the child's room should not exceed 20 ^° C. If the baby has a runny nose, then it is necessary to watch how he breathes nose, and in time to clean the nose of dried mucus. If there are central heating radiators in the room, the air can be overdried. Use humidifiers.

The opinion of Dr. Komarovsky

On the question of what to do if the baby is sleeping on his stomach, Komarovsky advises not to prevent the child from sleeping in a comfortable position for him. When a child sleeps on his stomach, his back and neck muscles are strengthened. Such children outstrip the development of their peers, they soon begin to hold the head and turn over. In addition, when a child sleeps on the stomach, it releases gases, and colic becomes less painful.

Sleep on the abdomen is useful for children. With severe colic in the baby's parents, there is nothing else but to teach the baby to sleep on the stomach. In many cases, this is the only salvation. A dense mattress, a sheet without folds and the absence of a pillow make all the debates about whether it is possible for a babe to sleep on her stomach, absolutely meaningless. According to Dr. Komarovsky, sleep on the abdomen is very useful for the baby. Therefore, parents should not think about weaning the child of this posture, but, conversely, think about how to teach babies To sleep on the stomach.

According to Dr. Komarovsky, the debate over whether a baby can sleep on the stomach becomes meaningless if the parents pay due attention to the quality of bedding purchased for the child. Unfortunately, many manufacturers sin that they complete baby cribs with low-quality, too soft, uneven mattresses. In addition, parents themselves, after listening to the advice of "experienced" relatives, are eager to buy a baby's padded pillow and a quilted blanket for the baby, without thinking about the danger they are exposing their child. Before you put the baby to bed, you should check how much his bed meets the above criteria.

At what age does sleep on the abdomen become safe for the baby

Age 5-6 months is the time when the baby can sleep on the stomach, without fear of serious consequences. At this age, the baby already fully controls his body, and there is no risk that he will suffocate in a dream.

As for children of an earlier age, the answer to the question of whether a baby can sleep on the stomach will most likely be negative. The fact is that in the first three months most babies have one feature that makes a nap on the abdomen dangerous for them. If a child aged 0 to 3 months squeezes his nostrils, he will not attempt to release, but simply stops breathing. Usually these short-term respiratory stops last up to 15 seconds. But if the child's face gets into a soft pillow or mattress, stopping breathing can lead to suffocation.

In addition, the cessation of breathing can contribute to the runny nose and too warm air in the room. Nasal passages in infants are extremely narrow. The dried slime, turning into crusts, can block the baby from accessing oxygen.