Answer:
True.
Explanation:
SIDS is sudden infant death syndrome.If hospital personnel have concerns about possible choking for the first few hours following birth, they can place infants on their sides, propped up against the side of the bassinet for stability. However, after several hours, the baby should be placed wholly on his or her back to sleep.
Babies with certain upper-airway malformations (e.g., Robin syndrome) may have acute airway obstructive episodes relieved by prone positioning and some physicians believe that babies with severe gastroesophageal reflux may benefit from being placed in the stomach position with the head elevated following eating.However, no recent literature supports or refutes the benefits of this therapy. There may be other infants in whom the risk/benefit balance favors stomach sleeping. Health care providers should consider the potential benefit to the baby when recommending infant sleep position.
If medical personnel determine that the stomach sleep position is necessary because of a medical condition or other concern, health care providers should be sure to advise parents and caregivers to reduce the risk of SIDS in other ways, such as avoiding soft bedding and ensuring that babies do not overheat. For most babies, however, stomach and side sleeping are not advised.
Yes. Infants need “tummy time” while they are awake and are being supervised. Spending time on the stomach strengthens muscles in the shoulders and neck that help infants to acquire developmental milestones. It also helps to prevent flat spots on the infant’s head. Health care providers should advise parents and caregivers that a certain amount of tummy time is a very important and necessary part of an infant’s development. While there has been limited research on the issue of how much tummy time is ideal, the results of one study suggest that more tummy time is associated with better motor development.40 More research is needed before a specific amount of time can be recommended.
