What sleep position is best for my baby?

What sleep position is best for my baby?

Gary Feldman (Medical Director, Stramski Disorders Center, Miller Children's Hospital ) gives expert video advice on: What sleep position is best for my baby?; What should my baby wear to help him sleep at night?; Should my child take toys to bed? and more...

The best sleep position for your baby, at least under a year of age, is on their back. The reason is because it's been shown that there's a lower risk of sudden infant death syndrome if babies lie on their backs. There's one side effect of sleeping on your back, and it's not a big problem that's going to be lifelong. It's that sometimes babies that lie on their backs for a long time get little areas of their head go slightly flat. It's seen more in premature babies, because their skulls are a bit softer. Really, all you do is wedge them slightly so that they're sleeping on their back, but slightly to the left. Then you alternate a couple of nights slightly to the right. As babies get older, they can move their heads, and that's not an issue. But sleeping on your back is imperative. You can buy proprietary wedges, to ensure they do that. There are these wedge-type pillows you can buy that, for the most part, will keep the baby in that position.