by R.L Hanlon

Created on: June 12, 2009   Last Updated: June 13, 2009

From the instant our children are born, nurses and midwives at the hospital will make you aware of the safest position your baby should be sleeping. These days there is more awareness about SIDS, or Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, a condition where a child between one month and one year dies without reason or explanation.

Although research is still being conducted into the causes of SIDS and advances have been made, there are some things parents can do to avoid it and lower the risk of SIDS occurring. One of these things is placing your infant into a safe sleep position.

Following are some safe sleeping positions for parents to place their infants.

SLEEP POSITIONS FOR NEWBORNS

Medical opinion has differed over the years into the safest sleeping position for your baby. My mother may have been told that placing an infant on their stomach is safe, but these days new moms are advised to place a newborn baby on their back when sleeping.

Newborn babies move little but they also sleep often. Their neck and back muscles are still developing and you'll find that newborns have little control over their head and neck. Placing a newborn on their stomach may be dangerous until their head and neck muscles have developed further.

You will notice this is happening when they can hold their heads up for short periods of time, move their necks from side to side and begin to prop themselves up on their arms. Plenty of 'tummy time' will help improve this ability, as will age.

A baby placed on their side also risks rolling over onto their stomach when asleep. A baby who is placed on their back for all of their naps may also begin to get a 'flat spot' where they lay. This is due to the softness of their skull and tissues surrounding it.

When placing baby on their back, try to ensure their head is also to the side and rotate each side at different nap times. Ensuring your baby gets plenty of 'tummy time' will also avoid them getting a flat head. If you like to place your baby on their side, there are some handy wraps available for parents that have a small cushion that stops the baby from rolling onto their stomach.

A newborn should be placed with their feet near to the bottom of the cot or bassinet, avoiding any opportunity of slipping underneath their blanket and suffocating.

Sometimes parents may choose to have their baby sleep with them. As a mother of three, I understand that parents need to do what is best for everyone. Although sleeping

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