Since the 1990s, doctors and researchers have decided to put all babies to sleep on their backs. The cause is sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), more common in babies who sleep on their stomachs.

Why do you have to put your baby to sleep on his back? 

From the first time spent in the maternity ward, the young mother receives “instructions” to ensure the safety of her newborn. Among them, the baby’s sleep. It is forbidden to make the little one sleep on the stomach. The position lying on the back is strongly recommended, not to say obligatory. Indeed, it was observed in the 1990s that Sudden Infant Death Syndrome numbers are highest when infants sleep on their stomachs. 

What if the child prefers to sleep on his stomach?

After nine times spent warm and curled up in his mother’s belly, it is easy to understand that the child is not comfortable lying on a firm mattress (as recommended by the health authorities), with no object around him, blocked in a position he did not choose. Many babies also have reflux or digestive problems. They fall asleep better on their stomachs. If this is the case with you, why not allow the position on the stomach during naps or awake times on the play mat? You will be able to monitor him, be reassured and allow him to relieve his stomach aches.

Tips for safe sleeping

The conditions for allowing your child to sleep on their back (or nap on their stomach) safely are not difficult to apply, but require rigor. You need a firm mattress suitable for the bed (with no space between the mattress and the bars) and nothing in the bed other than a blanket. No duvet, no eiderdown, no blanket, no sheet, no pillow. All of this could suffocate the child. Baby sleeps in a sleeping bag or overpyjamas. The ideal room temperature is between 18 and 20 ° C. At this stage, the toddler is not yet regulating his temperature and the hot weather increases the risk of SIDS.

The consequences of sleeping on your back

Since the children sleep on their backs, certain consequences are starting to be (re) known. Among them, flat head syndrome, in other words “plagiocephaly”, which concerns 20% of babies. Different studies warn about vertebral problems, scoliosis, deformation of the jaw. More so, these jaw problems can cause sucking, teething, or feeding concerns. There is even talk of delays in learning to walk and / or speak. The cushions limiting this risk are not labeled, so be careful, because if baby rolls over on a pillow he could suffocate. On the other hand, on the back, the child does not muscle his neck or his small arms. He doesn’t learn to hold his head. Awakening times and tummy time can compensate for this lack. 

Maylis Choné

To find out more: Sleep in babies from 0 to 2 years old