When is it safe to start putting your baby to sleep chest down?

Question

I've heard of sudden heart failures for this position. I also heard the plus side is that their chest muscles grow stronger because they have to lift their head to change positions (facing left and right). You see, my baby brother was born in the US and he was immediately placed to sleep face down. I remember pictures of in an incubator (yellow fever) upon birth and he was chest down.

Answer 1

I should NOT be the person to answer this question because a child of mine had SIDS but lived. Many who don't undestand believe my child couldn't have had SIDS because death did not occure. However death was kept at bay simply because she lived in the hospital for the first few years with the help and use of full time staff and an infant heart monitor. This heart monitor was on the child 24/7 as SIDS does NOT have true rhyme or reason. The periods of apnea (stop breathing) and bradycardia (heart stopping) varried 40 to 60 times per week without reducing the times with sleeping on the back. Our child was even restrained to be kept on the back to no avail.

With all this said, I do believe that doctors who see these children know the fact that with instructing parents to sleep infants on their side (supported with a wedge or rolled receiving blanket placed behind their back), not sleeping on their back, has reduced the number of children deaths per year. No, they do not have all the answers, or understand SIDS which is why it is still under Government study....but the fewer deaths do matter, and in the end this is what matters.

Yes there is still some talk that the death rate has decreased simply from babies not having the opportunity to "drown" in spit up or vomit while sleeping face down. But this is still not known. Some even believe that with the SIDS awareness, many more moms are checking their little ones more often and this too has reduced the death number. But keep in mind that deaths that did occure over the years did not always support that children had drowned in vomit. This death is very different from the real illness called SIDS.

True chances of REAL SIDS is much lower then most people today are thinking. Babies have also been found during sleeping to "forget" to breath, and although most jump or twitch and then remember to beath, this is now also being considered as a prior cause blamed to SIDS, but not called SIDS. Many adults today are having sleep studies realizing that even at their age they too have periods of sleep apnea.

Babies bodies at birth are not fully developed, and many other things are blamed on SIDS. Anyone who is truely interested, google bradycardia. In the many pages and info out on the Internet will even list on the front pages Arythmia, Heart Block, Sudden Death, etc.

Bottom line is, follow the current advice of doctors on how to sleep your little ones. As doctors learn more, so will the information change, but for now be happy that with the fear they stirred with telling us parents to sleep them this way or that way, it has reduced the national average of children who died without cause. Reduction of deaths is a fact.

Answer 2

Maybe he's not getting enough to eat before he goes to bed. Make sure he gets a good feeding before he goes to bed so you know for sure that he isn't hungry. You're doing all the right things to get him to sleep. When it gets to be close to bedtime, make sure the lights are dim and it is quiet in the room. Try giving him a bath before bedtime. That always makes our little guy tired. We just recently started making progress with our 3 1/2 mo old's bedtime. We make sure that he can't possibly be hungry. We put him in the swing after he's eaten and had his bath. For the past 3 nights now, I've been able to put him in the crib awake or only partially asleep and he hasn't cried at all. Also make sure he isn't sleeping too much during the day. I don't let our baby sleep more than 3 hours at a time during the day. Be patient and things will start looking up for you!

Answer 3

it is better for infant muscle development to sleep on the chest, but its just not safe. Babies who are in the hospital are often placed face down, but they are under constant supervision by the nurses. A baby can safely sleep on its stomach when its old enough to turn over on its own, usually 6 months or so. Babies will get plenty of muscle development by having "tummy time"

Answer 4

my baby is almost 6 months old and i havent even given it a thought about letting her sleep on her tummy, my daughter gets her chest muscles strong during the day when i let her play on her tummy, babies need tummy time, so they can crawl and learn to roll over, in doing that they should develope those muscles then... they SAY that you shouldnt let them sleep on there tummys if they are under 12 months but more research has been going on and now they are saying 24 months. but babies will roll so its hard to keep them on there back all the time, you just got to keep putting them back on it... i know alot of sick babies are put on there tummys in the hospital but they also have people around the clock checking on them... i wouldnt do and i dont think the doctors recommend it.

Answer 5

If you want to put your baby to sleep in 20 seconds you must get the "Instant Baby Sleep" MP3 sound track. Here is their official web-site: http://www.instantbabysleep.net

The sound track gently produces energy over the full human hearing spectrum with an embedded pulse that gently eases the brain to the Alpha state well known for drowsiness and sleep induction.

Answer 6

I have three kids. When I had my first they (doctors) said that babies must sleep on their tummies to prevent SIDS. By the time I had my third (5 years later and she's 10 now) they said that babies should sleep on their sides to prevent SIDS.

The bottom line is they don't KNOW what is best to prevent SIDS which is why it's called SIDS. I have always preferred to have my children sleep on their tummies. I never had anything in their crib....I always used blanket sleepers in the winter, and a light receiving blanket in the spring/fall when needed. No pillows, stuffed animals, blankets until they got big enough to sit/stand on their own. All you can do is talk it over with a nurse or doctor and trust your own instincts. Good luck and best wishes.

Answer 7

I believe that they say to prevent SIDS you never put your baby facing chest down. You put them on their back and if they turn over, thats fine. If you notice them on their chest, you should turn them back onto their backs, but that doesn't mean you have to wake up and check on them all the time... i hope this makes sense

Answer 8

when my son Yssach was born, my wife & i always puts him to sleep facedown- in our chest. i've read a book that says they recall hearing your heartbeat your breathing while they are still in the womb- they feel safe and confortable with this.

however, since we cant have him on our chest the whole night we lay face up.

yssach is now 16months and sleeps on his sides - i dont know why!

Answer 9

You are now supposed to put babies on their backs to prevent SIDS but once they learn to rollover on their own then it is hard to keep them on their back. They can rollover anytime between 4 and 6 months.They used to place babies face down because they were afraid if they spit up they would choke on it, but that is no longer the preferred method and since the Back to Sleep program there has been decreased incidents of Sudden Infant Death Sydrome also referred to as SIDS.

Answer 10

Your baby can sleep on their stomach once they can roll over on their own. But otherwise, it is not recommended that you put them down on their stomach. Even once they can roll over on their own, I'd still always put the baby down on their back.

My son began rolling over onto his stomach on his own at night when he was 3.5 months old. He slept on my chest on his stomach for the first 8 weeks, so he did have a very strong neck and chest. But once he was sleeping on his own I always put him on his back. In fact, I was quite freaked out when I woke up one night and looked over to see him laying on his stomach. I didn't even know he could roll over at that point.

Always remember to have your baby sleep on a firm surface with no extra blankets or stuffed animals that they could suffocate on.