“Tummy Time” Is Important!

The emphasis on “back to sleep” to prevent sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) has some parents thinking they should always put babies down on their backs, but babies need time on their bellies, too. While being on her back is the safest position for sleeping, your baby will also benefit from supervised “tummy time” several times a day when she’s awake, even though she may momentarily protest or her head movements may be jerky.

Otherwise, your baby’s skull could begin to flatten in the back, and the strengthening of her neck, shoulder, and back muscles could be hindered— delaying later skills, such as turning over, crawling, and pulling to a stand. Being constantly on her back may also cause your baby’s neck muscles to develop unevenly on one side. These problems usually resolve themselves once your tot becomes more physically active.

Here are some ways to help make tummy time more enjoyable for your baby (tummy time is also burp time, so keep a diaper or a towel handy for wipe-ups):

Use your own belly. If your baby protests at being placed facedown on a blanket on the floor, she may be happier lying on your chest and just looking up at your face or lying crosswise on your belly and peering to the side. Try the baby-on-chest position on a recliner or the couch or while sitting in a tub of comfortably warm water. This will allow you to relax while your baby goes through her mini-pushups.

• Reverse “horsie.” While you’re seated with your feet resting on a hassock or the edge of a coffee table, place your baby facedown on your lap with her butt near your belly and her chin at your knees. Try raising and lowering your knees or lifting one knee higher than the other while you gently press down on your baby’s back end so she gets practice balancing her heavy head and her shoulders.

Sit in front. Place your baby on a blanket on a table at waist level and sit in front of her so she can see your face or place her on the edge of the bed with you sitting on the floor. Talk to her, make funny faces, play peek-a-boo, or shake a rattle between the two of you to encourage her head-lifting attempts, even if it’s just for a second or two. (Don’t make your baby do it if she starts fussing, and never leave her on a high surface by herself. She could hurt her neck or wriggle off.)

• Place her on an incline. Your baby may be more comfortable during tummy time when she’s in a slanted position so that her head is higher than her lower body and her hands rest below her shoulders. Here are some ways to achieve this: Craft a gently slanted wedge out of pieces of a corrugated cardboard box that are securely taped together with duct tape and padded with a blanket; cut a support wedge out of firm foam using an electric knife; or prop your baby under the arms using a small bolster or towel roll. (Again, your baby’s neck is very vulnerable to compression, which can lead to suffocation, so continuously supervise your baby when any objects or edges come near her neck and upper body.)

Exercise ball. Lay your baby facedown on an exercise ball and gently roll her backward, forward, and sideways.

After diapering. Roll your baby onto her belly for a moment after every diaper change, keeping one hand on her back for support.

Alternating neck positions. Alternate the position of your baby’s head to the left and right when you’re carrying her in a soft carrier; when she’s in her car or infant seat; and when she’s sleeping on her back, so muscles on both sides of her neck are given a chance to lengthen.

• Changing positions in the crib. Alternating your baby’s positions at each end of the crib can help to encourage her to turn her head in opposite directions. Usually, babies will habitually turn toward the doorway where their parents enter.

  Tip

Don’t let your baby sit erect for long periods of time. She needs lots of floor time, especially tummy time, to make up for sleeping on her back. Use a colorful blanket, and put toys nearby to encourage stretching and reaching.

   Warning! Walker Dangers

Don’t be tempted to keep your baby in a wheeled walker or an exerciser for long periods of time on the assumption that being upright will teach her how to walk sooner. In fact, studies have shown that wheeled walkers teach babies the wrong kind of foot actions and can actually delay walking skills.

Not only that, but the wheeled variety of these circular seats move faster than parents can keep up with them. When they plummet down staircases, they tend to vault the baby down the stairs, headfirst—often causing severe head injuries in the tumble. Although today’s walkers are designed with a stopper foot to prevent stair accidents, this safety measure is less effective if the baby jostles the walker over the top stair from the back or side position. We recommend not using walkers, and using stationary exercisers for only limited amounts of time.