Can a newborn sleep on his stomach?

With the birth of the baby, the whole habitual way of life changes, everything is rebuilt and adjusted to the needs of the new family member. Young parents have many questions about the health, development and safety of the child. Moms and dads learn a huge amount of new information, learn to live by the new rules, to observe the elementary safety rules. And one of the pressing issues is the admissibility of sleep of a newborn in a position on the stomach.

Why babies love to sleep on their stomachs

It is difficult to understand about the predilections of the little man, if he does not yet speak. But caring mothers notice that some babies sleep especially long and hard if they are put on their tummy. What is the reason for such addictions and why this position is useful during sleep, let's try to figure it out.

The most important cause of this baby’s sleep is habit. That is, the child stumbles into bed, bends the legs and arms, taking the pose of the embryo - so the pussy slept at the mother’s tummy, in such a position he is comfortable and calm, he feels safe. It is very important that when a child’s face is put into bed, with pleasant and familiar smells, tactile sensations give a sense of security.

When a baby is lying on its stomach, it does not move its legs and arms, which at first after birth do not obey at all. That is, the risk of sudden fear and awakening is reduced. When a baby moves less and does not frighten itself, it sleeps much stronger, wakes up rested and in a good mood, not capricious without a reason.

Lying on the stomach is very useful for the development of the cervical and lumbar spine. It has long been observed that children, who often sleep on their stomachs, start to hold their heads earlier, crawl better, etc.

Frequent laying on the stomach contributes to the development of the neurological skills of the baby. In addition, the constant location of the legs in the open state is an excellent prevention of hip dysplasia.If the baby sleeps only on the back, and on a hard surface, this is fraught with the deformation of the bones of the skull.

When the baby is sleeping on the stomach, a gentle massage of its joints, bones, muscles and tendons is provided. Direct contact of the tummy with the bed provides a soft and warm massage that protects the baby from gas and colic. In addition, in the position on the abdomen with bent knees facilitated the discharge of gas, which is so necessary for babies in the first months of life.

Another benefit of sleeping on your stomach is reducing the risk of swallowing vomit. Young children often burp, and if at this time the baby will lie on his back, he will not be able to get rid of the curd, it can get into the respiratory tract, it is very dangerous. Therefore, it is very important to keep the baby with a pillar after eating for some time so that the child burps out, this significantly reduces the risk of regurgitation.

In the summertime, when the child often lies on his back in a stroller or car carrier, he may have prickly heat on the back of the neck and on the back. When the baby is lying on its stomach, the skin behind it is well ventilated, the air baths promote the rapid healing of the rash.

That is why doctors, namely, pediatricians, neurologists and orthopedists recommend to spread more often babies in the first months of life on the tummy. But none of them says that the child should sleep exactly in this position, because it can be dangerous.

Why is it dangerous to sleep on the stomach

Parents may encounter such a thing as sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). This is a medical term that describes the death of a healthy child in the first year of life for unknown reasons. Many studies of scientists from different countries have identified a group of factors that may be a risk for SIDS. One of the main factors is sleep on the stomach. The cause of death in this case is a banal lack of air. That is, the child lies on the tummy, the nose can be buried in a pillow, blanket or diaper, the nasal passages are very narrow and can be easily closed with a cloth. The most dangerous thing is that the baby is too small; he cannot turn his head to the side to get rid of the choking. Therefore, to sleep on the stomach without supervision of an adult is very, very dangerous. There have even been studiesaccording to which pediatricians began to recommend not putting children to sleep on the stomach, after that the mortality from SIDS decreased by 2-3 times.

Can a newborn sleep on his stomach

There is no definite answer to this question, since, on the one hand, it is very useful to sleep on the stomach, but on the other hand, it is not entirely safe. Let's start with the fact that it is not worth sleeping on the stomach of the babies of the first months of life, who still cannot turn and hold their heads. You can lay out the baby on the tummy in the waking state, you can leave him to sleep on the stomach, if the crumb turned his head to the side and you MUST be there and watch his position. In this case, sleep on the stomach is quite acceptable. But at night, when the parents are sleeping, it is better to put the crumb on the flank. If you lay the baby on your back, be sure to turn the head to the side so that the baby does not choke if it suddenly burp.

Under what conditions can you sleep on your stomach?

If your baby is sleeping restlessly on its back, constantly twitching, frightened, flinching and crying, it is permissible to put it to sleep on the stomach, but for this you need to strictly observe the following conditions.

The room should be cool enough, 18-23 degrees, no more. Hot air causes the mucous membranes in the throat and nose to dry out, the airways narrow. In the summer try to sleep with the windows open, but avoid drafts. In winter, be sure to air the room before bedtime. In addition, in the winter, when heating radiators work particularly intensively, you need to install a humidifier, it is necessary for children in the first years of life.

It is unacceptable for a child to sleep on his stomach, if he has various disorders of the central nervous system or birth injuries.
You need to be constantly close, and if the baby turns his head so that his face is tucked into bed, you need to turn his head to the side.

You can not put your baby to sleep on his stomach, if he is sick, has a cold and his nasal passages are clogged with mucus. By the way, even in a healthy child, the nose can become clogged if the air in the room is dry and hot, and crusts form in the nose. Before bedtime, they should be soaked in saline and gently cleaned with a cotton swab, so that nothing hinders the restful sleep of the child.

In bed there should not be foreign objects, especially near the face of the child - blankets, diapers, toys, and especially pillows.In general, a pillow for a newborn child is not needed and is even dangerous, since it can be the cause of the incorrect formation of the spinal column and the cervical spine. In no case do not put the baby to sleep on the pillow, it will be needed only after a year, and then, if the baby himself wants it.

The mattress must be even, preferably orthopedic, it is very difficult to rest and suffocate on such a mattress. The risk of SIDS increases, if the mattress is soft, crooked and loose, it is much more difficult to free the baby’s nose on such a mattress.

You can leave your baby to sleep peacefully on his stomach, if he is more than four months old. At this age, children quietly turn over and even more so can lift the head and turn it for a more comfortable position. After 4-5 months, as a rule, the children themselves decide in which position they are comfortable to sleep.

If the baby is very small, it can not sleep on the stomach, but you are not able to stay close at all, just swaddle the baby. In a kind of cocoon, the baby will feel safe, like in the womb, the dream will become more peaceful.

As pediatricians say, it is healthier and safest for a baby to sleep on its side.This reduces the risk of SIDS, swallowing vomit, on the side of the baby calm and comfortable. Be sure to shift the child to the right and left side to avoid flexion and deformity of the hip joints. So that the child does not roll on the back or tummy, you can put rollers from diapers or towels on both sides. Remember that the safety and comfort of the child only in your hands!

Video: the correct position of the newborn during sleep