Cevery night you put Evan in his sleeping bag and you lay him on his back in bed, as recommended to you at the maternity ward and at the pediatrician. But for a few days now, you have found him on his stomach in the morning. Are you worried: is it dangerous? You would like to sleep soundly again.
On my back, for his safety
Even though the prone position is more comfortable for the stomach, for decades the only position advocated by professionals has been the position on the back, because it removes the risk of suffocation for the baby during sleep. “It is true that lying on his stomach, a baby digests better and therefore sleeps better, which is why this position was once recommended. But today, there is no longer any question of installing a baby on the stomach, we know that this presents risks, ”confirms Béatrice Di Mascio, pediatrician. Indeed, since we make babies sleep on their backs, their nocturnal mortality rate has dropped considerably.
We do not use a baby wedge
However, there is no need to wedge or block the baby with a device that would prevent him from rolling over at night: these “baby wedge” systemsare not safe, the child may stick his nose in it and have difficulty breathing. But rest assured, your little one can continue to have peaceful nights in the position they prefer. Indeed, from the moment he is able to turn spontaneously on his own, it is because he has the muscle tone needed to straighten the head if necessary. So he no longer runs the risk of suffocating, his nose on his mattress.
Encourage him to tone his muscles
A few precautions are in order to secure this toned baby’s nights: make sure he sleeps on an extremely firm mattress and that there is no space between this mattress and the edge of the bed. Remove the “cot bumper” if there is one, do not leave a blanket in the bed either. Ban pillow, sheet, duvet and blanket: in winter, so that your baby is well covered, provide him with a sleeping bag (sleeping bag with straps adjusted to the size of the child) or dress him in two pajamas one over the other.
The temperature of his room should be 18 to 20 ° C. And of course, keep him lying on his back the evening. ” On the other hand, during the day, place it often on your stomach so that he tones the muscles of his neck while playing, so that the movement of raising his head is usual and easy for him ”, advises the pediatrician.