Why Shouldn’t The Baby Use A Pillow?

Experts recommend avoiding the use of pillows, stuffed animals and blankets during the hours of sleep during the first two years of the baby’s life.

One of the main things we should know as mothers is that the baby should not use a pillow to sleep. But why? Many people consider that it is not wrong for newborns or small babies to use pillows, but it is recommended that they do not, because the proportions of a baby’s body are different at birth from those of an adult, the neck still it is small and the head is much larger compared to the rest of its body.

The most important thing is to avoid the use of pillows until the baby can use them, because if he sleeps with pillows earlier than they should, there can be various inconveniences in the formation of his body and he may even suffer the risk of choking on the pillow. Here are some reasons why the baby should not use a pillow during sleep hours.

Why the baby should not use a pillow

1. May cause sudden infant death syndrome. If we put a pillow on the baby and he lies on his stomach while sleeping, he will not be able to roll over, causing suffocation. Similarly, this can happen with stuffed animals or cushions, so they should be avoided in the baby’s resting place.
2. That the baby uses a pillow can cause his back to not have its natural alignment. This causes the natural curvature of the neck to be forced, because the baby has a smaller neck and the head is proportionally larger than the rest of the body.
3. Sleeping on pillows is not comfortable for a baby. Although they may find themselves sleeping very comfortably on multiple pillows, they don’t really feel comfortable. If they have a bad dream, the next day they will wake up irritated. In addition, sleeping with a pillow could impair your rest and cause problems falling asleep.
4. You can develop allergies. This is also an important factor to take into account since when we wash the pillow or cushion, we generally use fabric softener with various scents. For babies it is not recommended, because at this time they are still developing their sense of smell.

When babies can use pillows

The Spanish Association of Pediatrics and the American Academy of Pediatrics  recommend that the child start using pillows from the first 2 years of life. From then on, if you want to start using the pillow, it is preferable to choose a thin, small and firm one.

In fact, from this moment it is advisable that they use a pillow, since at this moment their shoulders are wider than their head, and it begins to hang over them when they sleep on their side. The pillow should be made of a material that allows them to breathe properly, such as cotton. It is best to avoid using materials such as polyester as it can hinder oxygenation and could cause excessive heating in the head and neck area.

Tips to avoid sudden death syndrome

In addition to preventing the baby from sleeping with a pillow, there are also other ways to prevent sudden death syndrome:

• Sleeping on your back. The baby should always sleep on his back. We must avoid at all costs that he sleeps face down.
• The mattress should have exactly the same measurements as the crib and should not be too soft.
• The baby should sleep with his feet touching the bottom of the crib, on the other hand, the sheets must be very well fixed under the mattress.

• It is advisable not to use blankets made of elastic or plasticized fabrics.
• The room temperature should be kept between 18-20 degrees.

• When sleeping, it is advisable not to put very warm clothes or blankets.
• It is not recommended that the baby begins to sleep with the parents before 13 weeks of age.
• In the first months, it is recommended that the crib is close to the parents’ bed.

The most important thing is that the baby should not use a pillow until he is old enough to do so. It is concluded that it can be harmful to the child both for his body and for his health. The simpler the child’s crib is for their rest, the better.