Why Not Put A Pillow On Your Baby?

One of the most important things a mother needs to know about baby care is that pillows should not be used. But why is that?

While many think it’s OK to put pillows in bed for small babies or even newborns, this is not recommended as the  body proportions of a newborn baby are different from those of an adult. His neck is small and his head very large compared to the rest of his body.

It is very important to avoid using pillows until your baby starts to need them, because if he sleeps with the pillow before he is ready,  there is a risk of suffocation.

Now, let’s take a closer look at the reasons why babies shouldn’t sleep with a pillow – keep reading!

Why should babies sleep without a pillow?

• The pillow can cause sudden death. If you put a pillow on your baby so he can lie on his stomach while sleeping, he will not be able to turn around and this can cause suffocation. The same can happen with plush toys or decorative pillows, so they should also be avoided in a baby’s bed.
• If a baby sleeps with a pillow, it can cause an unnatural line in his spine. This adversely affects the natural arch of the neck because, as we mentioned, the baby has a relatively small neck and a large head.
• It is not recommended that the baby sleeps on pillows. While you may yourself sleep comfortably with multiple pillows, your baby really doesn’t feel comfortable like this. And if he doesn’t sleep well, he’s going to be irritated the next day. Sleeping with a pillow can also make it harder for your baby to fall asleep.

• It can cause the development of allergies. This is also an important thing to consider when washing a pillow or decorative pillow, as a fabric softener with different fragrances is often used here. This is not recommended for babies as their sense of smell is still in development.

When can babies start using pillows?

The Spanish Association of Pediatricians and the American Academy of Pediatrics  recommend that children start using pillows after two years. From now on, if you want your child to start using pillows, it’s a good idea to choose a thin, small and solid pillow.

In fact, from this age onwards, it is recommended that the child use a pillow, as at that point the shoulders are already wider than the head, and this begins to cause the head to hang while the child is sleeping on its side.

The pillow should be made of materials that allow proper breathing, such as cotton. It is best to avoid polyester, among other things, as it can prevent proper oxidation and cause excessive heating in the head and neck areas.

Advice to avoid the risk of sudden death

In addition to not using a pillow, there are other ways to more effectively prevent the risk of sudden death:

• Put the baby on its back.  Babies should always sleep on their backs, and face-down sleep should always be avoided by all means.
• The mattress should be the same length as the cradle or bed and should not be too soft.
• The baby should sleep so that his feet touch the bottom of the bed. The sheets should be properly pushed under the mattress.

• It is not recommended to  use blankets made of flexible or plastic fibers.
• The room temperature should be about 18-20 degrees.
• When it’s time for your baby to sleep, it’s best not to put on very hot clothes or blankets.
• It is not recommended that the baby start sleeping with his parents before 13 weeks.
• In the first months of a baby’s life, it’s best to have a cradle close to the parents ’bed.

The most important thing to remember about pillows is that your child should not use them until he or she is old enough. Using a pillow too early can be detrimental to your baby’s body and more generally to your well-being. And besides, of course, it’s worth keeping in mind that the better the baby’s bed is in terms of rest, the better.

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