What Should I Do If My Baby Is Lying On His Stomach While Sleeping?
You put your child in the crib and, in less than five minutes, he turns over and lies on his stomach in his sleep?
If this scene happens repeatedly to your baby, you should observe his sleep more closely. Doctors associate this position with the occurrence of sudden infant death syndrome.
It is believed that around 10 thousand children die annually in the world because of this type of event.
One vomit is enough to cause suffocation and complicate a baby’s ability to breathe. In this sense, children aged one to four months are the most vulnerable.
However, the issue of our children’s sleeping postures is much more complex than it seems.
Fortunately, we can take some preventative measures to keep the younger members of the household safe.
The relationship between sudden infant death and sleeping on your stomach
Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) refers to the unexpected death of children under one year of age, even when they are in excellent health.
It’s also called “cradle death” and it’s still an unsolved mystery by the scientific community.
In most cases, autopsies do not show the cause of the baby’s death.
Even when there are only theories about their occurrence, experts believe that there are triggers for these events.
The most elaborate theory indicates that it is all due to an anomaly in the victims’ micro-awakening.
However, some experts speak of suffocation due to certain external situations. In this case, sleeping on your stomach can be one of them.
Children aged one to four months should be monitored throughout the night to prevent these unwanted episodes.
It’s not a good habit to leave your baby unattended because he doesn’t usually cry.
The most vulnerable child population is that of newborns up to four months old. However, it is always advisable to check the positions of children up to the first year of age.
In testing for babies, nightly checks are usually done to make sure everything is in order.
Sleeping together and other sleep habits for the baby
People who support the practice of sleeping with their babies say that active surveillance is one of the advantages of this familiar custom.
In practice, night checking is the best strategy for parents to avoid SIDS.
If your baby turns over on his stomach while sleeping, it may be wise to change the position a little from time to time.
In this way, we will avoid dangerous and uncomfortable postures at times when the baby is not yet in control of his body, sleep and movements.
When the child is lying on his stomach while sleeping, he needs to change his position.
Making it a habit for your child to sleep with the chest up or to one side is an excellent alternative.
Some parents prefer to put them face down, with the intention that the child will sleep soundly. But this is not advisable for the first few months.
Another good option is to place the child face-up with the head to the side. In this case, it will be good to make some changes in the position of the neck to avoid pain due to poor posture.
The fetal position is more advisable if we can get our little ones into the crib in this way.
Furthermore, another important issue is that during the first three months we must also monitor the formation of the baby’s head.
Leaving the child lying face up for more than three hours also increases the risk of plagiocephaly.
Other steps we can take to prevent SIDS
- If the baby develops a lot of reflux, the mattress can be positioned at a 45-degree angle.
- Avoid wrapping the baby in the sheets. Also, make sure he doesn’t do it unintentionally.
- Toys in the crib can create suffocating and bad positions. It is best to remove them from the crib during naps.
- Excessive clothing and temperature increases can cause problems for children. The correct thing is to cover them without exaggeration, taking into account the thickness of the fabrics.
- We must avoid toxic substances in the environment, as well as paints and poisons for pest control.
After the first year, our children will have greater control of their sleep and also their movements.
Before long, we will see that they themselves will look for more comfortable positions and will resist any problem.
It never hurts to check whether you feel your baby’s breathing when he is sleeping. A small movement or the sound of air in your mouth will be enough to know that everything is fine.
This care will be essential to ensure the health of newborns in the first months of life.
