Pediatricians strongly recommend putting newborns and babies on their stomachs more often. This position helps to effectively fight intestinal colic, reducing the discomfort due to increased gas production. Does the child need to sleep on his stomach?
Disputes on this score are still ongoing among children's specialists. The fact is that after the mass death of children in a dream in the United States (where pediatricians advised mothers to put babies to sleep on their stomachs), this position was announced as the reason. Apparently, the death was provoked by the cessation of breathing in the child during sleep, and the doctors decided to abandon such a dubious recommendation.
On the other hand, laying the baby on its back is just as dangerous due to possible regurgitation. Therefore, it is more correct to teach the baby to sleep on its side. If this fails, allow the child to sleep in a way that is comfortable for him. But observe the following rules:
- put your baby on a firm mattress without a pillow;
- do not wrap the child, clothes should correspond to the temperature;
- the air temperature in the room should not be higher than 22 degrees;
- Maintain an optimal level of humidity in the bedroom;
- keep the air clean, regularly ventilate the room;
- clean the baby's nasal passages daily;
- after feeding, hold the baby upright to release the air that he swallowed with milk or infant formula;
- during sleep, turn the head of the crumbs in different directions.
