Is It Safe For Babies To Sleep On Their Backs?

SIDS And Back Sleeping

Putting a baby to sleep on its back, both during the day and at night, is the best thing caregivers and parents can do to reduce the risk of sudden infant death syndrome.

Stomach sleeping raises the incidence of sudden infant death syndrome by a factor of 1.7%-12.9 when compared to sleeping on one's back. There is speculation that sleeping on one's stomach increases the risk of sudden infant death syndrome, although the processes by which this occurs are unclear. Many factors have been linked to an increased risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), and research seems to support this hypothesis:

• Boosting the likelihood that the infant is breathing through their own exhaled air, which can cause a lack of oxygen and a buildup of carbon dioxide.
• resulting in a blockage of the upper airway
• Overheating occurs when the body's natural cooling mechanisms are impeded.

Evidence from many nations, notably New Zealand, Sweden, as well as the United States, suggests that putting babies to sleep on their backs reduces the risk of sudden infant death syndrome by a significant amount compared to putting babies to sleep on their stomachs.

Scientists have found a correlation between putting babies to sleep upon their bellies and an increased risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).

Since then, there have been widespread public-health initiatives to get people to sleep on their backs instead of their bellies. These public health programs have been successful in reducing the prevalence of belly sleep among infants, which has led to a dramatic fall in SIDS rates around the world. The fact that SIDS rates have historically been very low in regions where belly sleeping is uncommon (like as Hong Kong) confirms the association.

Infants that sleep on their stomachs, as opposed to their backs, are more likely to:

• Having a lower noise threshold
• Lack the ability to regulate your heart rate and blood pressure causing sudden drops
• Feel less restless, more alert, and sleep deeper for longer.

These factors may increase a baby's risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. Putting babies to sleep on their backs reduces their risk of sudden infant death syndrome by more than half.

Statistics reveal that as back-sleeping initiatives have spread over the world, side sleeping has been a more significant contributor to sudden infant death syndrome than stomach sleeping has been. A recent study found that sleeping on one's side carries the same health risks as sleeping on one's stomach.

Babies who are put to sleep on their backs pose no additional health hazards. Placing a baby to sleep on his or her back does not raise the risk of aspiration or the number of complaints about vomiting.

More than that, there is some evidence that babies who sleep on their backs get additional benefits. It was observed in a study conducted in 2003 that newborns who slept on their back sides were less likely to get ear infections, stuffy noses, or fevers than infants who slept on their stomachs.

Multiple studies have shown that children who sleep on their backs tend to have later development of motor skills. A recent Israeli study, however, found no distinction between prone (stomach) and supine (back) sleepers in terms of their six-month-olds' gross motor development skills.

In spite of these early setbacks, supine sleepers do not appear to be significantly older when they master walking, according to some research.

Multiple studies have revealed that supine sleepers benefit from spending more time in the prone position during the waking hours. This finding highlights the significance of informing parents of the benefits of tummy time.

Why Is Sleeping On Your Back The Safest Position For Your Baby?

Key Reasons Why Back to Bed Is Safer

• Never put a newborn to sleep on his or her stomach or side; the back is the safest position. Babies who sleep on their stomachs are more likely to die suddenly, and even those who sleep on their sides run the risk of rolling onto their stomachs.
• The safest sleep position for a baby is on his or her back. Babies who are used to sleeping on their backs and are suddenly switched to their stomachs or sides are at a higher risk of SIDS.
• After a baby has been watched for a few weeks and seen to roll from back to the front and back again on their own will, they can be permitted to pick their favourite sleep patterns (this is usually around 5-6 months).
• The sleeping environment must be secure at the crucial stage of beginning to roll.
• Wrapping is no longer necessary for babies who can roll.
• Sleeping on the back is recommended for premature infants as as soon as they are able to do so safely (out of oxygen).

How To Stop A Baby Sleeping On His Side

Newborns are not alone if they have trouble settling into a comfortable back sleep position. Babies often feel better at ease when they're lying on their stomachs or sides to sleep.

In that situation, there are some measures you may take to ensure your baby's comfort and safety during naps. Start implementing these techniques from the moment you bring your newborn home to ensure that he sleeps on his back from birth onwards.

Swaddle Your Child

In order to help your baby feel safe while sleeping on his stomach, try wrapping him in a warm burrito-style wrap. Swaddling using a blanket is simple once you get baby hang of it, however you can alternatively use a zipper and Velcro swaddling wrap to avoid the fold and tucking completely.

Listed below are a few helpful safety reminders: Since being too hot is another health risk for SIDS, you should make sure your baby's room is cold enough for him or her to be happy in the added layers.

Know that if your baby begins to show symptoms of trying to roll, it's time to stop swaddling them (or move to a swaddling blanket hybrid or a sleeping sack, which can't be kicked off). The safest time to cease swaddling is at the age of two months, while this can happen as early as one month for some newborns.

Provide A Pacifier

When laying your baby down for his afternoon or nighttime sleep, be sure to give him a binkie. In addition to the calming effect of sucking, newborns often have trouble retaining pacifiers in thier mouths if they move onto either tummies or sides while sleeping.

Leave Out The Positioner.

Avoid using any sort of positioner on your baby's mattress, such as a wedge, wrapped up blanket, etc. While some of these items may help reduce the incidence of sudden infant death syndrome, they also present a significant suffocation risk.

Introduce Him To It Gradually.

To help your baby become accustomed to falling asleep on his back, try rocking him to sleep and then placing him in his crib face down.

Stick With It

Maintaining a regular sleep schedule is as important as any other aspect of your daily life. So, even if it looks like your infant won't sleep on his back at first, he will ultimately become acclimated to the position, especially if he has never known any other.

Know When To Seek Medical Attention.

Even if they initially resist, most infants come to prefer resting on their backs. If your infant is having trouble sleeping on his back, you should discuss this with his pediatrician. Even though it's not common, there are a few anatomical and physiological issues that could make your infant uncomfortable when sleeping on his back.

Concerns About Sleeping On One's Back

The Possibility Of Aspiration Or Choking

It has been raised by some parents and medical professionals that babies who sleep on their backs are at increased danger of suffocation. However, research into the airway of a baby's resting position has revealed that healthy infants are much less likely to suffocate on vomit when sleeping on their backs compared to those sleeping on their tummies or fronts.

When lying on one's back, the esophagus is elevated over the respiratory system airway (digestive tract). Therefore, milk that has been regurgitated is easily ingested a second time, preventing it from being aspirated into the respiratory system.

The oesophagus crosses over the baby's upper airway when the infant is placed on its stomach. When a newborn regurgitates or vomits, the fluid can easily be swallowed into the upper airway, where it can cause micro-aspiration, triggering receptors, and eventually the baby's stop of breathing (apnoea). Studies have demonstrated that sleeping in the supine position does not enhance the risk of aspiration.

Infants with gastroesophageal reflux are a high risk group for aspiration. The North American Society of Pediatric Gastrointestinal and Nutrition suggests putting babies with gastroesophageal reflux to sleep in the supine position, and the AAP agrees with this suggestion.

A doctor may recommend a certain sleeping posture for a baby with a rare medical condition where the danger of mortality from gastroesophageal reflux is higher than the risk of sudden infant death syndrome.

If your infant has gastroesophageal reflux, raising the top of something like the cot while they sleep supine won't help.

34-35 It is also not advised to raise the cot as this may cause the infant to slide under the blankets.

Due to suffocation hazards and a lack of data proving benefit, pillows or positioning devices that elevate the baby and are typically sold for baby reflux really aren't recommended.

Plagiocephaly With Positional Plagiocephaly

Deformational plagiocephaly and craniosynostosis, both of which cause skull deformities, have been on the rise since the Back to Sleep campaign. Babies reportedly spend more time on their backs due to this since their parents are afraid to put them on their tummies.

Parents are urged to start 'tummy time' with their newborns while they are awake and being closely supervised in order to lessen the risk of skull shape abnormalities.

Another study found no correlation between upright sleeping and plagiocephaly; rather, parental care behaviors, such as the amount of monitored tummy time, and the baby's own posture preference were more important.

Baby's Head Shape [has more on positional plagiocephaly and how to prevent it during belly time.]

My Baby Sleeps Longer And Deeper On Their Stomach.

It has been observed by many grandparents and parents that babies appear to sleep for longer stretches of time when placed on their tummies. It is believed that decreased arousal responses are to blame for this. However, a baby's airway is most protected when sleeping on their back because this position triggers the body's natural arousal and swallowing systems.

For Newborns, The Back Sleeping Position Is Ideal.

Despite evidence to the contrary, some doctors and parents still put newborns on their sides right away after birth in the mistaken belief that this will help them clear their airways of amniotic fluid and make them less likely to aspirate.

There is no indication that fluid is much more readily evacuated in the pretty similar. As soon as a baby is ready for their cot or bassinet, they should be put on their back. Health care providers should demonstrate the supine position for parents, who are more likely to replicate it at home.

Premature Babies Should Sleep On Their Backs.

Infants born prematurely have a higher rate of sudden unexpected death (SUDI) such as SIDS.

Studies conducted in the United Kingdom and New Zealand found that preterm birth was a factor in or at least four times that many cases of sudden infant death syndrome as compared to the control infants that did not die (twenty percent versus five percent).

Babies with a lower birth weight than average have a greater link between prone sleeping and SIDS.

It has been hypothesized that the total SIDS rate may be reduced by 20% if all mothers of premature or low birth weight children followed our safe sleeping guidelines and put their babies to sleep supine in a cot next to the parental bed.

As the prone position is supposed to improve lung function and decrease energy requirements, it is commonly used for preterm infants. When a baby is seriously unwell and needs intensive care, the prone position is the standard.

About ninety-five percent of NICU nurses said that a position other than supine was ideal for premature infants to sleep in. The nurses in this study found that prone sleeping aided in the management of both respiratory and non-respiratory problems (such as reflux and inconsolability), including upper airway abnormalities and respiratory distress.

However, it's more likely that these enhancements are the result of infants spending more in deep sleep and less spent in active sleep, the latter of which is linked to higher rates of apnoea and more receptiveness to stimulation.

The main advice is to place premature infants in the supine position as soon as they are clinically stable (i.e., off of oxygen) and as early as possible prior to actually discharge from the hospital. This will help parents become accustomed to putting their babies to sleep in the back sleep pattern and will give them time to practice before going home.

Back Sleeping Is Most Likely A Protective Mechanism.

Babies, both premature and full-term, are much less arousable when slept prone, suggesting that body posture during sleep greatly changes both spontaneous and induced arousals. The fact that parents believe their baby sleeps better in the supine position is one of the main reasons for this preference.

Babies sleeping in the supine position have been found to sleep for longer and more quietly and in a less arousable state, according to some research.

42 Higher core and peripheral blood temperatures have been linked to sleeping in a prone position.

Prone sleeping positions pose a serious threat to preterm infants because of the way it affects their cardiovascular regulation. For both full-term and premature infants, heart rate increases during nocturnal prone sleeping compared to supine sleeping.

Overall variability in heart rate is decreased in the supine position during sleep both in term and preterm babies at 1 and 3 months postnatal age, suggesting poor autonomic influence in the prone sleeping position, according to studies examining heart rates, a measure of autoregulation of heart rate.

One possible explanation for the difference in HRV between the two positions is that an increase in periphery skin temperature brought on by the prone position reduces parasympathetic control.

65 Evidence from a number of research shows that prone sleeping reduces sympathetic impact on blood pressure or vasomotor tone.

Compared to supine sleep, prone sleep results in lower resting blood pressure, altered heart rate responses, and diminished vasoconstrictor ability59 in term infants.

Reduced alertness responses in the prone position may be due to the fact that the prone position is linked to poorer brain oxygen in healthy term newborns.

Swallowing and arousal, two critical airway protection mechanisms, have been demonstrated to be compromised in the prone position during sleep cycles and to be enhanced in the supine position in a number of studies.

Infants' breathing rates were much lower while they were sleeping prone, especially when they were subjected to conditions that mimicked reflux or postnasal secretions.

For the first year of a baby's life, it is best for them to sleep on their backs or bellies.

Conclusion

Babies can be trained to sleep onto their backs with consistency. Babies often roll over to their bellies in search of a more secure position, which can be provided by swaddling. Swaddle your kid until he or she is old enough just to roll over without help.

At this point, which can occur as as two months of age, you can put them to bed in a baby sleeping sack from the start without worrying about them escaping.

If you want your baby to sleep on its back, patting them in you arms before putting them in the cot can assist. Keep your baby in their cot as quickly as possible if they fall asleep somewhere else (car seat, sling, stroller, etc.). A firm cushion and a fitted sheet are essential for the crib.

Conclusion

Babies placed on their backs to sleep instead of on their stomachs have a 1.7%-12.9 lower risk of developing SIDS. You shouldn't put your baby to sleep on his back until he has the muscle control to roll over onto his stomach. More than half of the risk of SIDS can be avoided by ensuring that infants always sleep on their backs. One's health is in peril whether one sleeps on their back or side, according to a recent study. Babies should always sleep on their backs since this is the safest position.

Infants born prematurely should be placed on their backs to sleep as soon as they can do so securely (out of oxygen). Consider giving your baby a binkie if they sleep better on their stomach or side. Your baby may experience discomfort when sleeping on his back due to a few anatomical or physiological factors. If your infant has been diagnosed with gastroesophageal reflux, your paediatrician may suggest a certain sleeping position to help alleviate their symptoms. Infants with this condition should sleep in the supine position, as the North American Society for Pediatric Gastrointestinal and Nutrition recommends.

To reduce the possibility of skull shape abnormalities, parents are encouraged to begin "tummy time" with their newborns while they are awake. However, elevating the baby with a pillow or other positioning device, as is commonly sold for infants with reflux, is not advised. In addition, raising the cot is not recommended because the baby could slip under the sheets. Instead, the prone posture is recommended for its beneficial effects on respiratory health and energy consumption. In one study, researchers discovered that prone sleeping helped treat breathing and non-breathing issues.

Premature newborns should be placed in the supine position as soon as they are clinically stable. Since preterm newborns' cardiovascular systems are not fully developed, sleeping in a prone position is dangerous. In addition, some studies show that when infants sleep supine, they sleep for longer, are less noisy, and are less likely to be aroused.

Content Summary

• When preventing SIDS in infants, the first and foremost advice is always to put your newborn to sleep on his back (SIDS).
• Find out why it's best for the baby to lay on his back to sleep and how you can help him make the transition.
• Putting a baby to sleep on its back during the day and at night is the best thing caregivers and parents can do to reduce the risk of sudden infant death syndrome.
• Stomach sleeping raises the incidence of sudden infant death syndrome by a factor of 1.7%-12.9 compared to sleeping on one's back.
• Scientists have found a correlation between putting babies to sleep on their bellies and an increased risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).
• These factors may increase a baby's risk of sudden infant death syndrome.
• Putting babies to sleep on their backs reduces their risk of sudden infant death syndrome by more than half.
• Statistics reveal that as back-sleeping initiatives have spread over the world; side sleeping has significantly contributed more to sudden infant death syndrome than stomach sleeping.
• Babies put to sleep on their backs pose no additional health hazards.
• Multiple studies have shown that children who sleep on their backs tend to develop motor skills later.
• Never put a newborn to sleep on his or her stomach or side; the back is the safest position.
• Babies who sleep on their stomachs are more likely to die suddenly, and even those who sleep on their sides run the risk of rolling onto their stomachs.
• Babies who are used to sleeping on their backs and are suddenly switched to their stomachs or sides are at a higher risk of SIDS.
• The sleeping environment must be secure at the crucial stage of beginning to roll.
• Wrapping is no longer necessary for babies who can roll.
• In that situation, there are some measures you may take to ensure your baby's comfort and safety during naps.
• Start implementing these techniques when bringing your newborn home to ensure that he sleeps on his back from birth.
• To help your baby feel safe while sleeping on his stomach, try wrapping him in a warm burrito-style wrap.
• To help your baby become accustomed to falling asleep on his back, try rocking him to sleep and then placing him in his crib face down.
• If your infant is having trouble sleeping on his back, you should discuss this with his pediatrician.
• Studies have demonstrated that sleeping in a supine position does not enhance the risk of aspiration.
• The North American Society of Pediatric Gastrointestinal and Nutrition suggests putting babies with gastroesophageal reflux to sleep in the supine position, and the AAP agrees with this suggestion.
• Deformational plagiocephaly and craniosynostosis, both of which cause skull deformities, have risen since the Back to Sleep campaign.
• Babies reportedly spend more time on their backs due to this since their parents are afraid to put them on their tummies.
• Parents are urged to start 'tummy time' with their newborns while they are awake and closely supervised to lessen the risk of skull shape abnormalities.
• Many grandparents and parents have observed that babies appear to sleep for longer stretches of time when placed on their tummies.
• Despite evidence to the contrary, some doctors and parents still put newborns on their sides right away after birth, believing that this will help them clear their airways of amniotic fluid and make them less likely to aspirate.
• As soon as a baby is ready for their cot or bassinet, they should be on their back.
• Infants born prematurely have a higher rate of sudden unexpected death (SUDI), such as SIDS.
• It has been hypothesized that the total SIDS rate may be reduced by 20% if all mothers of premature or low birth weight children follow our safe sleeping guidelines and put their babies supine in a cot next to the parental bed.
• As the prone position is supposed to improve lung function and decrease energy requirements, it is commonly used for preterm infants.
• The prone position is the standard when a baby is seriously unwell and needs intensive care.
• About ninety-five per cent of NICU nurses said that a position other than supine was ideal for premature infants to sleep in.
• The nurses in this study found that prone sleeping aid in managing both respiratory and non-respiratory problems (such as reflux and inconsolability), including upper airway abnormalities and respiratory distress.
• The main advice is to place premature infants in the supine position as soon as they are clinically stable (i.e., off of oxygen) and as early as possible before actually discharge from the hospital.
• The fact that parents believe their baby sleeps better in the supine position is one of the main reasons for this preference.
• According to some research, babies sleeping in the supine position have been found to sleep for longer and more quietly and in a less arousable state.
• 42 Higher core and peripheral blood temperatures have been linked to sleeping in a prone position.
• Prone sleeping positions seriously threaten preterm infants because they affect their cardiovascular regulation.
• For both full-term and premature infants, heart rate increases during nocturnal prone sleeping compared to supine sleeping.
• Compared to supine sleep, prone sleep results in lower resting blood pressure, altered heart rate responses, and diminished vasoconstrictor ability59 in term infants.
• For the first year of a baby's life, they should sleep on their backs or bellies.