What are the sleeping positions for babies?

Newborns spend most of their time sleeping after birth, so paying attention to some sleeping postures is a very important measure for their growth and development. Generally, the main sleeping positions for babies are supine and side-lying. Let’s introduce them below.

1. Supine: Supine is conducive to the correct and symmetrical development of the baby's facial features. It can relax the muscles and will not cause pressure on the heart, lungs, gastrointestinal tract, bladder and other organs of the body. It also allows parents to directly observe the baby's facial condition while sleeping.

However, it is generally best not to place a newborn baby in a supine position immediately after feeding, because this can easily cause the baby to spit up milk, causing the milk to flow along the cheek into the middle ear and induce otitis media. The correct way to do it is: after feeding, pick up the baby, let him lean upright on your shoulder, and pat his back until the baby burps, and then let him sleep on his side.

2. Side sleeping: There are two types of side sleeping: left side sleeping and right side sleeping. For babies, sleeping on the right side also increases swallowing movements during sleep, promotes the drainage of mucus in the middle ear, reduces the chance of bacteria retention, reduces the risk of infection, and thus avoids the occurrence of otitis media.

The disadvantage is that it is not easy for babies with short arms and legs to maintain this posture for a long time. In addition, sleeping on your side in the same direction for a long time may cause the left and right sides of your head and face to become asymmetrical in size.

3. Prone position: It is beneficial to the shaping of the head and facial contours, but it can easily block the baby's nose and mouth, causing the risk of suffocation. And this sleeping position is the most direct cause of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).

Except for the prone sleeping position which is the least recommended, the other two sleeping positions have advantages and disadvantages. Choose a comfortable sleeping position for your baby and change the sleeping position for your baby frequently to avoid an irregular head shape.