Contents:
- Medical Video: Is It Okay for Parents to Co-Sleep with Their Children?
- Getting your baby to sleep on a blanket increases the risk of sudden death
- Pillows are also dangerous for babies
- So, when can babies use blankets and pillows while sleeping?
Medical Video: Is It Okay for Parents to Co-Sleep with Their Children?
To protect the baby from exposure to night winds or cold air conditioning, the parent instincts may order you to immediately wrap your baby's body while he sleeps. Although the intention is good, but do you know there is a danger that lurks its safety if the baby sleeps on a blanket?
Getting your baby to sleep on a blanket increases the risk of sudden death
Various studies have shown that getting used to sleeping babies with blankets, even if they are made from soft ones, can increase the risk of sudden infant death aka SIDS (SUdden Infant Death Syndrome) to five times, regardless of what the baby's sleeping position was at that time.
A wide and heavy blanket surface can cover a baby's face, making it difficult to breathe. This often happens when the baby moves his legs during sleep, so it is very likely that the blanket covers his face or even strangles him and can eventually increase the risk of the baby suffocating.
Pillows are also dangerous for babies
Although the exact cause of SIDS is not well known, child health experts warn parents to adopt safe sleeping habits for babies. One way is to let the baby sleep alone on his bed.
Sleeping a baby on the same bed with you and your partner, or decorating a baby's bed with pillows, blankets, or stuffed animals can increase a baby's risk of sudden death (SIDS), either from being crushed by your body / partner or strangling pillows and blankets.
This recommendation was made based on the results of a study conducted by the American Academy of Pediatric (APP). They found that half of the baby population in the United States who are still sleeping with parents on one bed or bed decorated with pillows and knick-knacks are the group of babies with the highest risk of SIDS. This suggestion was also echoed by a team of experts from the National Infant Sleep Position Study who conducted a survey on parents regarding their baby cots and sleeping habits from 1993 to 2010.
So, when can babies use blankets and pillows while sleeping?
It's best not to let the baby sleep with a blanket until at least 12 months old. After the age of 12 months, babies are generally able to roll on their own to change positions and have good motor control to be able to move blankets from their faces.
While the use of pillows for babies is recommended when the baby is 2 years old. At this age, the baby is felt able to move freely so that if there is a pillow that covers his face, he can get rid of it. Even though there are various kinds of pillows, from shapes, colors, and images, available for babies, you should still choose a pillow that is small and flat so that it can support its neck well.
In essence, the best choice is to put the baby to sleep on a plain mattress without blankets and pillows, including dolls and other baby toys until the age of the baby according to the above. But that does not mean you have the heart to let the baby sleep without a blanket and get cold at night. You can still protect your baby by wearing a sleeping bag that can warm the baby's body.
This baby sleeping bag is usually a long garment that covers all parts of the body, including the hands and feet. This outfit is safer because it will not cover the face when the baby moves while sleeping.
Here are some recommendations from AAP so that your baby can sleep comfortably at home:
- Avoid using special baby baskets equipped with bumper cots (pads for lining baby basket walls), sleep positioner, special mattresses, or other things that are often claimed to reduce the risk of sudden infant death syndrome. AAP believes that these devices not only fail to protect your baby, but also increase your baby's risk of suffocation or shortness of breath when using it.
- Position the baby's sleep in a supine position and always monitor his movements.
- Don't take your baby to sleep on the couch or on a chair because it can be dangerous if you fall asleep. This is the same as not breastfeeding your baby when you are drowsy.
- Keep the baby away from cigarette smoke or pollution.
