What is the correct sleeping posture for a newborn baby? How can a newborn baby sleep with a good-looking head shape?

The sleeping posture of newborns has a certain impact on their growth and development. Especially for the baby's appearance, the correct sleeping posture helps to shape exquisite and perfect facial features and head shape. So what is the correct sleeping posture for newborns? How can newborns sleep with a good-looking head shape?

What sleeping position is helpful for newborns to improve their appearance?

Under normal circumstances, most newborns sleep on their backs. However, if newborns habitually sleep on their backs, the back of the baby's head will become flat and the face will appear wide over time, which will greatly affect the proportion and beauty of the facial features.

It is best for newborn babies to sleep in a side-lying position. This sleeping position can not only limit the excessive development of the baby's mandible and prevent the sides of the face from being too large, but also prevent the back of the head and forehead from being squeezed.

It should be noted that mothers should often help their babies to switch positions when sleeping, to avoid the baby sleeping on one side for too long, which will cause the head to tilt. In fact, it is not difficult for babies to have a symmetrical and beautiful head shape when sleeping. However, if the baby is born with a relatively large front-to-back diameter of the skull, a small face, and facial features that are close together, the side-lying position is not suitable.

The medical community has not yet given a single standard answer to the question of which sleeping position is best for newborns. Babies can choose their own sleeping position and do not have to stick to a certain one. You can decide based on the preferences of parents and the habits or special needs of the baby. But please remember that when the baby is sleeping, adults need to check on him at all times to ensure his safety.

Correct sleeping position for newborns

Newborns can sleep on their backs, sides and stomachs. Generally speaking, it is best not to sleep on your stomach because it can easily cause suffocation. The best sleeping position for newborns is to alternate between lying on the side and lying on the back, that is, lying on the left side, lying on the right side and lying on the back.

1. Supine: Supine is conducive to the correct and symmetrical development of the baby's facial features, can relax the muscles, will not cause pressure on the heart, lungs, gastrointestinal tract, bladder and other organs of the body, and also allows parents to directly observe the baby's facial condition while sleeping.

However, it is generally best not to put a newborn baby in a supine position immediately after feeding, because this can easily cause the baby to spit up milk, causing the milk to flow into the middle ear along the cheek and induce otitis media. The correct way is: after feeding, first pick up the baby, let him lean upright on your shoulder, and pat his back until the baby burps, and then let him sleep on his side.

2. Side-lying: There are two types of side-lying: left-side lying and right-side lying. For babies, right-side lying also increases swallowing movements during sleep, promotes the drainage of mucus in the middle ear, reduces the chance of bacteria retention, reduces the risk of infection, and thus avoids the occurrence of otitis media.

The disadvantage is that it is not easy for babies with short arms and legs to maintain this position for a long time. In addition, sleeping sideways in the same direction for a long time may cause the left and right shapes of the head and face to become asymmetrical.

3. Prone position: It is good for shaping the head and facial contours, but it is easy to block the baby's nose and mouth, causing the risk of suffocation. And this sleeping position is the most direct cause of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).

Except for the prone sleeping position which is the least recommended, the other two sleeping positions have advantages and disadvantages. Choose a comfortable sleeping position for your baby and change the sleeping position for your baby frequently to avoid an irregular head shape.

What is the scientific sleeping position for newborns?

The sleeping position of a newborn is mainly determined by the caregiver. Generally, Chinese people believe that the baby's head should be laid flat as early as possible, so they often lie in the supine position and use pillows, quilts, cushions, etc. to fix their sleeping position, which is unscientific.

Sleeping position directly affects the growth and health of newborns. The sleeping position should not be fixed, but should be changed frequently. The correct way is to turn the baby over frequently, change the position, change the sleeping position, and lie on the side instead of on the back after feeding to avoid spitting up milk. Be careful not to press the earlobe forward when lying on the left or right side, otherwise the earlobe will be folded frequently and easily deformed.

In order to prevent sudden infant death syndrome, that is, the accidental death of infants during sleep, the American Academy of Pediatrics has advocated the concept of back sleeping for infants since 1992. However, researchers at Mount Royal University in Canada have recently found that sleeping on your back will cause nearly half of newborns to have a tilted head. However, researchers pointed out that, in general, sleeping with a tilted head has no effect on the health of infants. There are some signs that babies who sleep with a tilted head will have slight developmental delays, but usually this problem disappears by the time they are 18 months old. If the head is tilted, it is also very simple to correct it, just let the baby sleep with his head facing both sides and adjust it regularly. The American Academy of Pediatrics does not encourage the use of wedge pillows and other devices to keep babies in one sleeping position.

How parents adjust the sleeping position of newborns

Babies cannot maintain the same sleeping position for a long time. If the sleeping position of a newborn needs to be adjusted, in order not to wake up the sleeping baby, parents should use two towels to help the baby adjust his sleeping position while dreaming.

1. Roll a towel into a tube.

2. Roll the other towel into a tube in the opposite direction, but leave some space in the middle of the towel and don't roll it up completely.

3. Let the baby lie in the towel rolled up in step 2. The rolled parts on both sides can help the baby's body stay on its side without tilting.

4. Place the rolled towel in step 1 on the baby's back, so that it can fully support the baby's small body.