Why do people not put babies to sleep on there tummys?

Question

All my sisters 3 slepted on there tummy and resurch showed that cot death was more likley to happen to familys that smoke are on a low income and the mum is young nothing about sleeping on there front i know loads of people that babies sleep on there front and no problems my daughter is one of them.Alos the health visitor said it was ok to do.

Answer 1

Oh, tell me about it!!

When I had my daughter, she was in her cot in hospital and the nurse put her on her back and she would not got to sleep, so I got her out and laid her on her belly on me and that's how she slept for a good six hours.
She is six now and still sleeps like that, on her belly.

This is another annoying trend that changes with the wind.

Answer 2

Studies suggest that suffocation may play a part in SIDS. Since little is known about SIDS, researchers compile information about infant deaths to see if there are any common links. These are mere speculation since there is no known cause for SIDS. Laying an infant on their tummy for sleep poses a suffocation threat because the baby may not be able to switch positions enough to help them continue to breath. While suffocation is not always the known cause of death, is it suggested to keep babies from sleeping on their tummies as a precaution.

Hope this helps!

Answer 3

There are many causes of crib death and some people seem to think that babies who lay on their tummies is one and it could be. Sometimes a pillow or blanket which has smothered a newborns oxygen supply has been indicated as the cause. Nowadays small babies should just lay on the mattress with no pillow or stuffed toys and with a blanket that is secured so as to not interfere with a baby's breathing. My mother also placed me and my siblings on our tummies and we are fine, but if I had a newborn who is too young to raise their head I would opt for them sleeping on their side, at least until they got a little older.

Answer 4

I think its more of a precaution. Our baby was terrible on her back so we put her on her side & she'd roll onto her tummy, we've never put her feet at the end of the cot either, theres no point cos she rolls everywhere so we put a pillow under her sheet at the end of the cot & she sleeps soundly, sometimes on her back, front, side or with bottom in the air, legs out of the sides lol
I think you know as a mum what your baby needs.Just don't put anything in that could suffocate them & make sure its not too warm in their room.

Answer 5

They don't like for you to lay your baby face down when it's a newborn because the neck muscles are weak and they cannot turn their head. If the baby vomits, it cannot turn its head away so that it doesn't inhale its own vomit and choke. Once the baby's neck muscles are strong enough to support it's head, and the baby can roll over on it's own, then it's fine. The baby is gonna sleep on it's stomach if it wants to.
As for sids, there's no answers for that. They don't know what causes it, or how to prevent it. Simple as that. I have a friend who's baby died of sids while it was awake, it the doctors office. There are simply no answers for sids. It's unexplained.

Answer 6

Because of SIDS. Smoking is also a factor because it decreases the amount of oxygen and increases the CO2 in the air. But babies on their tummies when they are very young cannot lift their heads if their nares get blocked , and they can suffocate. Google SIDS, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome....

Once a child is strong enough to roll over on their own, onto the stomach from the back, they are usually strong enough to lift their head, thus decreasiing the risk of SIDS tremendously. Then you just keep the pillows and blankets out of the crib until baby is coordinated enough to free himself from them if he gets tangled.

Answer 7

Because there is a higher risk of SIDS

SIDS is the sudden death of an infant under one year of age which remains unexplained after a thorough case investigation, including performance of a complete autopsy, examination of the death scene, and review of the clinical history.

In a typical situation parents check on their supposedly sleeping infant to find him or her dead.

you can find out more about this, and ways to help prevent SIDS on the website below.

Answer 8

Babies breathe through their noses not their tummy!!! Putting the baby to sleep on its tummy is best because it prevents them from choking or suffocating from inhaling their vomits. The best position however for a newborn is its side. When he gets older he will eventually roll over on his own.

Answer 9

The main reason I wouldn't do it is because they have to turn their necks, or else there is some risk of them smothering. But I notice in the bus there are signs (you know, those oblong cards above the seats?) that say "Put your baby to sleep on his back in his own bed every time," which is illustrated with a kid in a warm sleep suit, no blanket or pillow. So I figure it's mostly about smothering.

Answer 10

People do not put their baby's to sleep on there tummys because it can result in suffication or SDS. (sudden death syndrome)

Sudden death syndrome is an umbrella term used for the many different causes of cardiac arrest in young people. CRY provides medical information on the most common causes of unexpected sudden cardiac death in the young.
Sudden Death Syndrome events are defined as non-traumatic, non-violent, unexpected occurrences resulting from cardiac arrest within as little as six hours of previously witnessed normal health.

It is often difficult to consider that someone who is apparently young and fit may be at risk. There have been a number of reported incidents of misdiagnosis culminating in a tragedy that could have been avoided.

Sporty youngsters stress their heart the most. If they have an underlying cardiac abnormality they are more likely to be at risk. Sport itself does not lead to cardiac arrest but it can act as a trigger for a young person to die suddenly by exacerbating an undetected condition.

The majority of young sudden deaths are due to inherited forms of heart muscle disorder and irregular heart beat. Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy is the most common of these conditions. Research in the USA by Dr. Barry Maron shows that 1 in 500 people have Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy alone - just one of the cardiac conditions we cover.

In the UK unexplained "sudden death" is frequently recorded as due to natural causes. Experts believe that most of these deaths are due to Sudden Death Syndrome. Until the law is changed and coroners have to refer hearts on to specialists we will not know the true figures.

There is a simple way to diagnose most of the abnormalities that can lead to sudden death. This is by having an ECG (electrocardiogram) test. The test is quick, painless and affordable. For extra clarity an echocardiogram (ultrasound scan of the heart) can be taken if necessary.

We recommend ECG screening if there have been any young sudden deaths in the family, or if a young person is suffering from symptoms of:

Answer 11

It is because of SIDS, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. It is believed that they can suffocate on the crib sheets. Once your baby can roll over by himself or herself, it is fine for them to sleep on the stomach.