Is the baby shaping pillow useful and when should it be used?

Many mothers are afraid that their newborn babies may have a tilted head due to the wrong sleeping posture, so they consider buying a shaping pillow to fix the baby's head shape. So are baby shaping pillows really useful? What is the best use of baby shaping pillows?

Is the baby shaping pillow useful?

Many parents pay much attention to the effects of baby pillows on the development of the baby's skull and the health of the cervical spine, but most parents simply think that the shaping of baby pillows can prevent head tilt. Is this understanding correct? Let's take a closer look at this issue.

A baby shaping pillow generally refers to a pillow for babies from birth to 3 years old. Generally, babies aged 0-3 months are called newborns, babies aged 3-12 months are called infants, babies aged 1-3 years are called toddlers, and children over 3 years old are called children (3-6 years old are preschoolers, and 6-12 years old are school-age children). The main function of a baby shaping pillow is to prevent the baby's head from turning and not to put pressure on the baby's cervical spine. The neck of a newborn is straight, and using a pillow will put pressure on the baby's cervical spine. Therefore, the requirement for a baby pillow is to have a pit that fits the baby's head shape.

Although the baby shaping pillow can help new parents to fix the baby's head when sleeping to a certain extent, the key to preventing the baby's head from tilting is the careful care of the parents. Because the function of the shaping pillow is to fix the baby's head when the baby is sleeping. If parents do not pay attention to help the baby change the sleeping position and keep the baby sleeping on one side for a long time, the baby's head will still tilt.

In other words, the shaping effect of baby pillows is not very significant, because few babies are willing to sleep in a fixed position, and some even roll from the head of the bed to the foot of the bed, making parents laugh and cry. If a baby who sleeps well uses a shaping pillow to keep him in the same sleeping position, if parents do not help him change the position in time, it is more likely to cause the baby to tilt his head.

Therefore, the effect of shaping baby pillows in preventing head tilt is not significant. The key is that parents still have to help their babies change their head position when sleeping in time. Otherwise, using a shaping pillow may increase the chance of the baby's head tilting.

When should I start using the shaped pillow?

It is generally believed that babies do not need pillows within one month after birth. When a newborn baby lies flat to sleep, the back and the back of the head are on the same plane, and the neck and back muscles are naturally relaxed. The baby's head is large, almost as wide as the shoulders, and the head and body are also on the same plane when lying on the side. Therefore, in principle, there is no need to use a pillow. However, since people's mattresses are generally soft and children's beds have too many cushions, it is okay for newborns to use some lower pillows. In addition, experts believe that within 4 months after the baby is born, the fontanelle suture has not been completely closed and the bones are still soft, so there is a chance to change the head shape during this period. As long as you pay attention to changing your sleeping position, you may be able to reverse the degree of crookedness. It is recommended that you seize this best opportunity. From 4 months to 2 years old, this is the last chance for correction. Once the skull calcification is completed, the head shape can no longer be changed. After two years old, even sleeping on the side every day cannot change the head shape. So moms should seize the good opportunity to correct the baby's head shape and don't miss the opportunity to shape a good head shape for the baby.

Prevention and correction of flat head

The skull of a newborn baby is not yet completely ossified, and there is still room for growth between the bone fragments. The baby's head is quite plastic until the fontanelle closes at around 15 months. Therefore, new mothers should be careful not to let their babies get used to only one sleeping position, otherwise the baby will easily sleep with a tilted head. Doctors suggest that parents can prevent and correct this from the following points:

When you wake up, lie down more

When your baby is awake, you can let him lie on his stomach more often. Lying on his stomach will not put pressure on the head, which will help strengthen the baby's back and neck muscles and prevent the formation of a flat head.

Sleeping position changes

Maybe you will ask: sleeping on your stomach may cause suffocation, sleeping on your back may cause a flat head, so is sleeping on your side the best? So far, the medical community has not given a single standard answer to which sleeping position is the best.

Doctors recommend that you let your baby try different sleeping positions instead of sticking to one. You can decide based on your baby's habits or special needs. However, please note that when your baby is sleeping, there must be an adult watching over him/her to ensure his/her safety.

Sandbag therapy

If your baby has a flat head at the back of his head, you can use a sandbag to keep him in a fixed side sleeping position. The specific method is: use old breathable cotton clothes to make a 20 cm long and 10 cm wide cloth bag, fill it with yellow sand, and wrap it with two layers of cloth to prevent sand leakage. Let the baby sleep on the left or right side, and use a sandbag to fix the pillow. When the baby's flat head is corrected, you can remove the sandbag to avoid excessive force on the side of the head.

Calcium and vitamin D supplementation

As your baby's brain develops and his skull grows, you should pay attention to the supplementation of calcium and vitamin D. From the time your baby is one month old, you should give him calcium tablets and cod liver oil. You can also let your baby get more sun exposure to promote the absorption of calcium and vitamin D.