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Parents have to be careful about how they put an infant to sleep to avoid the SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome). This is the reason till the baby grows up to a year old; they are made to sleep on their back. Until the baby grows beyond 4 months of age, there is always a risk of SIDS to the baby. After one year, the baby is strong enough to roll on the sides as well as sleep on their tummy. There are a few things to know as to when can baby sleep on tummy.
-Sleeping habits of infants
A newborn and an infant who is a few months old sleeps between 12 to 16 hours a day. They sleep in naps during the day time and could sleep longer during the night. It depends on how you have scheduled the sleep patterns for the baby. After the baby is 6 months old, the number of hours they sleep is lessened. They also stay awake in between and are active during those hours. When you place the baby on its back and let it remain in that sleep position, it is the safest way to ensure that they have a sound sleep and prevents all hazards of SIDS.
-Put them on a firm sheet
Choose a firm sleep surface for the baby to have a good sleep. They sleep for most of the day and night and are awake only for a few hours. Ensure that the sleep surface is not too soft or too hard. The mattress inside the crib must fit in properly. There must be no folds and keep away toys, pillows, and comforters away from the crib. You must also check for the temperature before putting your baby to sleep.
-Swaddling for fussy babies
Sometimes infants might want to sleep on their stomach and can get fussy about it. It is not recommended for the baby to sleep on its stomach until they are at least one year old. When the baby is fussy about sleeping on their stomach, you can try swaddling and get them used to sleeping on their back. If the baby is still fussy about sleep on its back, you can contact the healthcare provider to know the underlying reason and learn ways to let the baby sleep on its back.
-In older times babies slept on their stomach
A few generations before babies were made to sleep on their stomach. It is since a few decades that it has become a medical mandate to let the baby sleep on its back. A few babies find it comfortable to sleep on their stomach. This is not something to get worried about. Sometimes, it is hard to put the baby to sleep when you put it on the back, yet, this is still recommended. There is a lot of research that shows that babies who are allowed to sleep on their stomach reach milestones quickly.
-Theories about SIDS
There are many researchers who deny that stomach sleeping could be the cause of SIDS. There are many reasons why SIDS happens. It could be the toxins from the mattress, or safety measures ignored. Apart from back sleeping, a few parents prefer side sleeping of the infant as well. In all of the sleeping positions, back sleeping is considered to be the safest for the baby to sleep in.
-Disadvantages of sleeping on the stomach
When the baby sleeps on the stomach, the oxygen does not reach its lungs as the lungs are not fully developed to accommodate to that position. Lack of oxygen can lead to SIDS. When the baby sleeps on its back it can breathe better avoiding all fatalities of SIDS. As per the medical mandate, the body of the baby is not developed to inhale oxygen when it sleeps on the stomach, hence this sleeping position must be avoided up to one year of age.
-Monitor the baby’s movements
The babies could have the habit of rolling over on their stomach. You have to monitor this from happening and put the baby back into its position of lying down on the back. Use pacifiers and keep the temperature even so that the baby is comfortable sleeping on its back and does not roll over on its stomach. This article gives complete details about when can baby sleep on tummy.
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