Ann and others,

I think we also need to be careful to get the babies off their backs for their "tummy to play" time because of the damage to the shape of their head.  I am sure there are others out there who have seen this generation of kids growing up with the back of their heads flat and I have seen some who have had to wear a special helmet to reshape their heads when they are 2 years of age (I am not talking about the helmet some need to wear for seizures, this particular helmet is for head reshaping)  This flat headedness can be prevented by the "back to sleep" and "tummy to play" mantra.  And of course sling wearing etc.  attachment parenting, etc :)

I think that we can inform parents that this "back-lying" 100% was never the intention of the SIDS back to sleep campaign.  That it was to be used when sleeping and then proper tummy time or baby held for some of the other times of wakefullness, then maybe some of the flat head shapes etc can be prevented and especially prevent the use of a helmet to reshape the head.  I have seen this helmet used by specialists both here in the USA and in Europe.  It even happened to one of our OB docs' children while he was in residencey.  He followed the back to sleep advice and really didnt give his child much floor time or tummy time, and now his child has to wear a helmet for her headshape for the next 9 months - year.  She is 2 years old.  And this is while we were living in Germany in 2001.

I work in an RN in an LDRP setting and so I use the babies first bath in the parents room as an opportunity to explain the back to sleep and tummy to play campaign.  The parents are shocked that after a bath, while their child is warming up and drying off on the warmer,  I will place them on their tummy for about 5-10 min.  I remain with them and the baby will often pick up its head and make those cute little movements and place their hands to their mouths etc.   The babies are calm and lovely and lots of good pictures are taken.

But I think that I am surprised by the shock of some parents that its okay to place the baby on its tummy at all.

What do others think?

Theresa IBCLC
Orlando Florida
100+ deliveries / month


Dear Rachel,
What I want to get across is not to change the "back to sleep" campaign but
to put the emphasis that only supine at all times, if not in the plastic
bucket, does have negative outcomes for babies.


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