Many pediatricians believe that it is contraindicated for children who have not reached the age of three years to sleep on a pillow, as it can harm the health of babies, and in some cases it is generally life-threatening. A baby can roll over on his tummy and, with his nose buried in the pillow, God forbid, suffocate. Children who are older are not recommended to sleep on a pillow, as this can provoke an abnormal formation of the cervical spine and spine.
Today, there are ongoing discussions among childcare professionals about whether a child needs a pillow at all. Most of the doctors agree that, of course, a pillow is needed, only a specially selected model. Now there are on sale developed models for babies from the first days of life, taking into account the peculiarities of the development of the body of infants.
How to choose the right pillow model, and what types of them, in general, are there?
Oblique the pillow raises the child's head by no more than 30 degrees, so the baby breathes easier, as a result of which the probability of regurgitation is much reduced, and, therefore, this means that the baby will not choke in his sleep. Such a pillow can be placed under a sheet or even under a mattress, the effect will be the same, and the fixation of the pillow is more reliable.
Choking pillow made of a special material called polyurethane foam, it has the ability to freely pass air. This good perforation is due to the high porosity of the material and the cotton cover. Even if the baby, turning over at night in a dream, buries his nose in the pillow, the air will not be closed. This cushion model does not affect the still unformed spine, since it is low. The pillow, which has a removable cover, can guarantee protection against bacteria and various fungi.
Supportive the pillow is designed to fix the child in a certain position, usually on the side, since this position is considered to be the safest for the child. Such models of pillows are several rollers, which are interconnected by belts.
Remember one important rule: it is strictly forbidden to cover the child with ordinary pillows from all sides, and thus fix his position, as the baby may suffocate !!!
Anatomical the pillow is often in the shape of a bear, butterfly or quadrangle, with a special depression in the center. This shape provides an optimal position during sleep and contributes to the correct formation of the spine. The animal-shaped pillow can become your child's favorite toy over time. When choosing such a model, pay attention to the age indicated on the tag so that the pillow exactly matches the age of the baby, otherwise the benefits expected from using the pillow can turn into considerable harm to the health of your baby. As a rule, you need to use the anatomical pillow until the age of six months, and its further use will be completely inappropriate.
Traditional your baby will need a pillow no earlier than a year after his birth. You should know that it should not be very soft or, on the contrary, too hard. The ideal model would be a pillow of medium firmness, almost flat and quite elastic, and its width should correspond to the width of the crib.
In order for our children to have everything wonderful, it is necessary to take care of the health of babies from the very first days of their lives, and to approach the choice of a baby pillow extremely carefully and reasonably.
With the right pillow, baby's sleep will be more comfortable and sweeter!
