Why is it so important for newborns to be laid flat?

Question

We're trying to choose a suitable pram and lots of the advice given says that infants should be laid absolutely flat in it. Why is this? I've read things that say sitting them up slightly is bad for their backs but I've not found any evidence that this is in fact true. Also that it helps digestion; how can this be? They feed in any position from horizontal to virtually vertical.
Points go to the most sound scientific reasoning, especially if reference/evidence provided.

Answer 1

I don't know what kind of bassinet you are talking about but I won't address the mechanical issue.

Newborns do NOT have to be laid absolutely flat. In fact, in the hospital even premature tiny babies are often put on a "bed" slightly angled to help their reflux problem in the incubator.

Moms ask about bouncers all the time. Again it's safe for the back. Of course their bodies are still very soft so you don't try to sit them up, but we are talking about less than 30 degree angle here.

Newborns are also less fragile than many people think. It's not necessary to support the head all the time. A little bobbing of head is ok. If you are not sure, err on the conservative side, but in general no baby gets injured from handling unless you intentinally shake baby or act really rough.

Answer 2

You do not need any reference/evidence for this. If babies could sit in a pram from the first months than they would probably start walking by 4th months. This does not happen due to the weakness and immaturity of their spine. They cannot even hold their head.

Our pram (Mamas and Papas) was not completely flat but the height was hardly noticeable. It was not harming. Also we had a baby carrier. The instruction did not recommend to carry a newborn baby in it for more than 2 hours. The carrier was not as flat as the pram. The baby in it was almost in a sitting position. But we hardly ever used it.

Our baby never slept completely flat. At the beginning we used to put a soft towel under his had and then later we bought a very tiny support pillow. It was not very comfortable as it was too small so we continued using the towel (now folded) till he could use a normal flat pillow. I got him a baby pillow from Kiddicare but it was not comfortable as well so from then he is using my pillow which is almost flat.

Answer 3

I was given the same advice, but when my daughter was diagnosed with severe reflux, we were told to have her in a slight upright position (bouncer chair or car seat). The best advice I can offer on prams is to go for the lightest, most compact model you can get for the best possible price. Most people end up using a stroller from about six months because they bought a heavy, bulky pram and were fed up of lugging it around. Happy shopping and all the best for the future.

Answer 4

Babies have soft malleable bones and if they are in more of a moulded, upright pram (or car seat) for longer than 2 hours at a time they are at risk of causing damage., but I think the main reason is actually to do with ensuring they have a clearer airway to prevent breathing problems.
It doesn't help digestion to leave a baby lying flat - gravity helps digestion so it is better to feed in more of an upright position.

Answer 5

We got a pram that you can lay flat and tilt up with age.
The reason was because the car seat style prams which we do use for car journeys obviously, If a baby who is always growing spends a long time with their backs curved it isn't encouraging their spine to grow straight.
This could have an effect in later life.

Answer 6

A baby cannot support itself properly, and if it were sitting upwards in a pram the chances of it's head lolling forward is greater and this is not really good for the baby. Of course it is okay for a baby to be upright when it is being held and properly supported, but it can't get the right support while sitting up in a pram.

Answer 7

its always been the way really, thing is i really can't stand seeing new borns in those car seat prams, they never look comfortable and it really cant be doing their backs any good, how do you sleep? i lie flat in my bed (whatever position lol) but i'm not upright, lots of do's don't and ifs, but my son would not sleep unless he was on his belly, my health visitor used to have a heart attack about it, but at the end of the day he had colic and it was the only way he would sleep, they only feed for approx 20 mins that is not a suitable argument, but propping them up slightly whilst sleeping allows for their airways to stay clear from maybe mucus from a cold. newborns grow very quicly and soon he/she will be in a bouncy chair, feeding slightly vertical (like you say lol) and being sat in your arms too, so sleeping completely flat will not harm or improve your child in any way its just blady comfortable lol. :)

Answer 8

I think this is only when they are not properly restrained, plustbefore their neck is strong enough to hold itself up. First thing I thought of when I read this is all the parents who have for years (100s, and 1000s) carried their newborns in some sort of sling as they worked during the day.

Answer 9

Feed them at an angle, like carrying in your arms, burp them upright, after about 20 min you can lay them down-no toys or fancy stuff. What doctors are worried about is sudden infant death syndrome. My daughter would have died when she was a tiny baby had I not woken to hear her, she had vomit in her mouth and could't roll over herself. From then on she slept on her side with a bath towel rolled up behind her. I never had any problems with either of my kids or 6 grandkids. Sometimes you have to listen to your inner parent.

Answer 10

Newborns can't use their neck muscles just yet, this means that gravity pulls their head down, thats why you hold a baby with your hand under their head. Now if you prop the head up with a small pillow, it could result in many problems, if their head rolls to the side, it could result in suffocation. Also when the head is proped up the neck muscles are strained, as opposed to laid down when they are relaxed.