|
|
Because of the “Back To Sleep Program” endorsed by the American Academy of Pediatrics, there has been a reduction of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, but as a result, babies have been spending less time on their tummies. Children used to roll at about four months; now we are finding that rolling and prone skills are developing later. Articles in Pediatrics and Journal of Pediatrics that have found that supine sleep position in infants are linked to lags in motor skill development. They found that many parents did not let their baby lie prone during awake times because they were fearful of the possibility of SIDS. They found that increased prone playtime did result in earlier milestone development. Another article titled “Infant Motor Development and Equipment Use in The Home” found that infants who had high equipment use in exersaucers, highchairs and infant seats also scored lower on infant motor development than infants who had low equipment use.
A good idea would be to make a play area on the floor for the baby with a mat or carpet on it. You can start putting your baby on her tummy when she is 1-2 months old during the time she is awake. Encourage the baby to lift her head up. If your baby really dislikes being on her tummy or can’t lift her head up very much, try laying her on your chest while you are lying down and encourage her to look up at your face. The important thing is to do tummy time frequently, but for very short periods of time to start out. I like to tell parents to lay their babies on their tummy 4-5 times a day for a minute or less in the beginning. Baby’s heads are big in comparison to their body, so the neck muscles tire easily. Over time, the baby’s neck muscles and shoulder girdle will get stronger and she will be able to tolerate longer periods of time on her tummy. This technique is recommended over putting your baby on her tummy once a day and leaving her there until she starts to cry. Pick up your baby before she starts to cry; this way, tummy time will be happier for both you and the baby and your baby will eventually enjoy playing in this position.
|