sleeping position

We now recommend that parents always lay their young infants - age birth to somewhere over six months or so - on the back when placed in the crib to sleep. Admittedly, babies are probably more comfortable scrunched up in the fetal position in the prone (tummy sleeping) position, but there is just too much evidence that this position carries a significantly higher risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).

I counsel strict back sleeping with my patients, since new data shows that strict back sleeping is even safer than "back or right side" advice. What do you do if your child refuses to sleep on the back? Well, I tell parents to be firm about it for a while but if the child absolutely cannot tolerate back sleeping, go ahead and let him sleep on his tummy. When the child reaches the age where he starts flipping over onto the tummy by himself - at around four to five months - do not feel you have to run in and flip him back eight times a night.

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