How can a newborn baby sleep to have a good head shape?

A first-time mother is paying close attention to her baby's physical changes. The baby's sleeping problem is also a big issue that parents are concerned about, because the grandparents at home have traditional concepts, and parents have new parenting concepts when accepting new things. So what kind of sleeping habits are correct? We will introduce them in detail below, hoping to help inexperienced parents abandon wrong ideas.

The custom of sleeping with a book as a pillow is not advisable

In some places, there is a custom of giving newborns a "sleeping head" or "sleeping flat head", which means using dictionaries, thick books, hard pillows, etc. to change the shape of the baby's skull. Although this custom may not usually cause serious head deformation in infants (serious deformity can cause insufficient brain capacity in infants and affect the normal development of intelligence), it can easily flatten the baby's head, which in turn greatly affects their beauty. Moreover, modern parents find it difficult to accept a flat head shape and instead prefer a round back of the head.

Why should babies' sleeping positions be fixed?

Some young parents always let their newborns sleep in a fixed position, or even in a fixed posture, which can easily lead to a flat head. The skeleton of infants is not fully developed, the bones are tender and soft, and they are easily deformed when subjected to external forces. If a newborn sleeps facing one direction for a long time, the weight of the head will exert pressure on the part of the skull that contacts the bed, causing that part of the skull to gradually sink and eventually form a flat head. The way to avoid this consequence is simple: just let your baby change his sleeping position frequently. That is, every one or two days, let the child change from lying on the left side to lying on the right side, and then change to lying on the left side or on the side.

When caring for a baby, you should try to avoid maintaining the same sleeping position for a long time. It is best to ensure that the baby alternates between lying on his back and lying on his side, so that he can have a face with regular features in the future. The baby's head shape is important, but the quality of his sleep is more important. The mother must ensure that the baby can sleep comfortably and peacefully before adjusting the head shape.

Do babies need pillows?

In many areas, the elderly at home insist that newborns sleep with various pillows to keep their heads flat or fixed. As a result, many newborns' heads become crooked due to insistence.

The human spine has four curves - cervical, thoracic, lumbar and sacrococcygeal. These four bends will gradually form as infants and young children grow. A pillow is needed only when the cervical curvature is formed. The cervical curve is formed when the child can sit up independently. Therefore, it is recommended to use a pillow only when you can sit independently. Regardless of whether you use a pillow or not, it is best to change your sleeping position {lying flat, lying on the side, lying prone (not allowed within 3 months)} frequently to avoid abnormal head shape due to sleeping position.

Sleeping schedule for a good head shape

★Most important within 2 months

As the baby grows older, the hardness of the skull increases, the bone sutures close together, and the shape of the head is unlikely to change. At this time, the baby is about 2 months old.

★It is still possible to make adjustments within 3 months

If you find that your baby's head shape is asymmetrical after 2 months, it is still time to adjust it within 3 months, so parents don't need to be too anxious. The head shape of babies over 3 months old is basically fixed, so their sleeping positions can be more flexible.

★ Closure of fontanelle determines lifelong

Generally speaking, the baby's anterior fontanelle will close when the baby is between one and one and a half years old. After the baby's anterior fontanelle closes, the shape of the head is fixed and it is difficult to change.

Other mothers' experience in correcting head tilt while sleeping

1. Change positions when talking to the baby. When the baby is awake, family members should sit on both sides and talk to the baby, instead of just talking to the baby on one side. Especially the side where the baby's head tilts when sleeping, so as to make it easier to correct it.

2. Massage the baby's neck moderately. Depending on the direction of the baby's head tilt, you can often massage the baby's neck moderately to relieve the pressure on his neck. Over time, it will have a very good effect. For example, if the baby's head tends to tilt to the right, you can massage the right side of his neck.

3. Many babies who sleep in the same bed with their mothers will habitually sleep on their side facing their mother. At this time, mothers can switch directions with their babies every other day to avoid the baby sleeping on one side.

4. The effects of experience vary from person to person. Various shaping pillows can only play a preventive role at most, but cannot achieve a corrective effect. If you continue to use them, you may miss the golden moment of correction. Generally speaking, the shape of the head will not affect the baby's IQ, but will only affect the appearance, so the parents can decide whether to make corrections or not.

The above is some detailed introduction about how the child's head shape should be when sleeping. The traditional concept of using a book as a pillow or using a pillow too early is very detrimental to the baby's development. We recommend that parents master the scientific way of baby sleeping, and then combine the sleeping habits of their own baby to summarize the sleeping habits that are suitable for their baby.