Room to
Breathe
Air Is Good! Protect Your Baby's Breathing!
You may have heard that it is important to put a baby to sleep on their back and here are the reasons why.
If you cannot see their whole face, they may not get the air they need. A baby may hear the message that they need more air, but if they are lying on their stomach or their face is covered, they might not be able to get a full breath.
Young infants are floppy, and they cannot hold their head up, they cannot turn their head or lift it up to get the air they need.
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Even if you see their whole face, that just means air can get in their nose, but if the neck is bent the air may not get to the lungs.
Babies have big and heavy heads, and their neck is not strong enough to hold their head up.
Your baby's neck is like a straw: BEST when it is open and straight.
Why keep babies on their back?
It keeps their neck straight.
Bent neck = no air
Protect your baby's breathing: make sure you can see their whole face.
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For more information on how to protect your baby's breathing, you can visit the website https://www.standinbaby.com/positional-asphyxiation/
Babies Need Space & Firm Surfaces
We all love a soft bed, thick pillows and big blankets for comfort.
Babies are small and need lots of room to breathe. Soft bed, pillows and blankets make it hard for babies to breathe - like they are in quicksand.
When babies sleep with these things they can be smothered because they cannot hold their head up or move it to a spot to where they are able to breathe.
Baby's needs are different than adults/ Adults Wants Are Different Than Baby's Needs.
Soft beds, pillows, and blankets are comfy for you. Your baby needs room to breathe in firm and open space.
Protect babies spaces from blankets, pillows, toys, and people too! That could cover their face during sleep.
Uncluttered space = a safe sleeping space
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Babies Don't Need To Smoke, Keep Smoke Away
When we are out of breath, like after we run, it is hard to breathe - babies have a smaller air tube than us and they have to work harder to breathe.
When smoking, our blood vessels narrow, and we have less oxygen flow.
Less oxygen makes the communication between the body and brain slow... and this means the body has less strength and time to tell the brain they need more air.
Babies already have a smaller air tube than us, their breathing needs protection/ clean air.
Smoking keeps oxygen away from babies, it weakens their wake-up responses.
Being around smoke is like wearing a mask all day. Keep babies away from secondhand smoke.
Naptime & Nighttime
Naptime or Nighttime, Make Every Sleep A Safe Sleep
There will be times when you are tired, but we want to make sure that every time your baby sleeps, they sleep in a safe place.
To ensure your baby is safe while they sleep:
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Keep them cool
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No overfeeding
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Keep neck straight
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See entire face
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Away from smoke
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Flat, firm surface