Safe bedtime: good daily habits

The right actions to put your baby to bed safely

To begin with, a baby must ALWAYS be lying on his back. Up to a year, it is the only position that allows him to breathe safely. On the stomach, it can be bothered in particular by the mattress and quickly run out of air. On the side, he can quickly find himself against his bed bumper (accessory not recommended!), And fall over on his stomach, because the position is unstable.

The key points of “safe” sleeping arrangements for babies:

• a rigid bed with bars;
• a firm mattress that is well suited to the dimensions of the bed, to prevent it getting stuck between the wall and the mattress;
• no pillow, duvet or blanket because the risk of burial and hyperthermia is too important;
• it is best to put Baby to bed on a fitted sheet, in a sleeping bag or sleeping bag adapted to the season;
• no plush by his side (the mere presence of his blanket is sufficient), nor thick bed bumper because he could stick to it and suffocate.

Baby room: at the right temperature

First of all, the temperature of the baby’s room must be under control: 18 ° to 20 ° C, this is more than enough. Ventilation of the room is also essential. We therefore think of opening the windows every day and not exposing our child’s room to the tobacco smoke. Which is also valid for all the rooms of the house …

Co-sleeping: with great care

When sharing our bed with Baby, we must take extra precautions: co-sleeping can be very dangerous if it is practiced in the bed itself. First of all because of the risk of falling: our baby can roll over, or, during our sleep, slip off the bed. Breastfeeding mothers should be especially vigilant. It is true that it is very practical to give the breast to your little one in the bed but, with the help of fatigue, the risk of falling asleep while the baby is still on the breast is very present. An advice : we always put the baby back in his bed after each feeding. Nothing prevents us from installing it next to ours … 

Recommendations from pediatricians: keep her baby in the parental room for up to 6 months, in his own bed or bassinet. There are also “special co-sleeping” beds, which are attached to the parental bed.

The pacifier, an ally for baby’s safety?

The pros are reserved as to the preventive role of the pacifier in sudden infant death syndrome. Statistically, it does indeed seem to protect babies, but this relationship is still insufficiently scientifically proven. And this, even if, in the United States, the pacifier is an integral part of prevention measures.

Other good habits for baby’s safety

• We keep Baby in upright position 15 minutes after each bottle;
• We teach him to playing on the stomach when he is awake, in order to strengthen his neck and arms a little, and thus vary the support;
• We NEVER shake it! His head and neck are still very fragile;
• Consult a doctor if he vomits or regurgitates a lot, if he is embarrassed to breathe, if his behavior is unusual, if he has a fever, if he becomes very pale or blue;
• In the car, we avoid covering up too much Baby or turn on the heating. Our child is at risk of having too much temperature fluctuations.

Prevention of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome: Always Lay Baby on His Back!