Not on the tummy

Since parents stopped putting babies to sleep on their tummies, the incidence of sudden infant death syndrom (SIDS) decreased by 50 percent. A scary but interesting and very real statistic is that SIDS still remains the leading cause of death for infants aged 1 month to 1 year!

Back sleeping: This is recommended as safer than on the tummy. One down side, however, is that babies can develop flat heads from being on their backs all the time.

Side sleeping: This is a safe position. On your side, as long as you are breathing (even if the baby loses consciousness, let’s say in the case of a febrile convulsion) the airway is maintained or kept open because the tongue is lifted off the back of the throat. If baby vomits on his side, it will drain out of his mouth. The recovery position for an unconscious patient is on the side.

Wedges: For this position, a wedge is imperative! They really don’t cost much at big baby retailers. Be on the lookout for two triangles, one long and one short, with a piece of Velcro in the middle to make it wider or narrower. The baby needs to be nice and snug. Most of them enjoy the feeling, as they’re used to tight spaces and feel secure that way. Don’t forget to alternate sides.

Also position baby with the feet close to the bottom of the cot, so wriggling down becomes impossible.

Monitor: By all means invest in a good one, as it gives you peace of mind that if anything goes wrong causing your baby to stop breathing, you will be alerted immediately! A breathing monitor should be used till 2 years of age. Hand in hand with this is knowing how to resuscitate, as it is pointless using a monitor and not knowing how to do CPR. It not only saves your baby’s life but, very importantly, his brain function! ●