On the stomach, or on the back?
SIDS is a terrible fear of parents of infants every where. Why do apparently healthy babies suddenly die? What did they do wrong? How could it be prevented?
In recent years, the "experts" have been preaching that statistically there's more of a chance of G-d forbid SIDS if the baby is put to sleep on his stomach. So mothers all over the developed world are trying to keep their babies on their backs as much as possible, even though most sleep better on their stomachs.
The avoidance of being on their tummies is causing other problems, developmental ones. The head, neck, shoulder, back etc aren't getting a workout, when the baby is kept on his back. Add to this the increasing practice of using the "straight jacket," oops! carseat for everything, babies aren't moving enough.
Lying on one's back, following a mobile with eyes and flapping one's arms is not enough physical stimulation for an infant.
My daughter and I have been discussing this dilemma ever since her elder daughter was born almost two and a half years ago. I'm a firm believer in stomach sleeping and playing and with my background in dance, movement and sports, it's an easy stand for me to defend. But of course we don't want to endanger the kids.
Recently my daughter came up with some additional questions about the statistics. Could the higher statistics for SIDS when on the tummy have to do with how the sheets were laundered? She said that soon after she became a mother, she became suspicious of the laundry softeners and other additives to the wash, so she reduced use. Is there a statistical difference if the clothes are hung out to dry in an area, like where we live that isn't polluted?
Recent statistics also show that there's a lower percentages of death for babies "always on their stomachs." Maybe their neck and chest muscles are stronger, enabling them to put their heads in positions for easier breathing?
I just wonder.
Are the simplistic "keep the baby on his back" instructions really endangering them?
3 comments:
I wonder about the back sleeping, too. Our youngest would not sleep very well on his back, if he twiched or moved, it would wake him up. We were visiting my mom, and she told me to let him sleep on his tummy, and it really helped him.
I wondered if the SIDS could be somehow connected to the plastic that is used on baby mattresses - breathing so close to plastic, maybe there is some kind of chemical thing happening.
I feel bad for babies with little flat heads from backsleeping and carseat sitting.
Our children have Thank God made it through infancy. The latter two despite sleeping on their stomach's in defiance of the latest received wisdom. If the baby isn't sleeping that's not good either!
I'm not sure how strong the correlation is- I think our pediatrician had some doubts. I bet that Biur Chametz might know a bit about the literature on the subject.
Nothing beats common sense, and the more kids we all have, the more we learn.
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