Sleep stays on the back
The American Academy of Pediatrics still says babies should sleep on their backs, on a firm flat surface. That advice helped bring down sudden infant death. It also means a lot of hours land on the back of a soft little skull. If a baby is almost never on their tummy when they are awake, a flat spot can show up.
So the same group asks families to put baby on the tummy for short, watched play after you get home from the hospital. Build it up. By about 7 weeks, they would like to see around 15 to 30 minutes total across the day. Not all at once if your baby is not ready.
What that time is actually for
- Neck and shoulder strength for later rolling and sitting
- A break for the back of the head
- Practice lifting the head and looking around the room
Pediatric physical therapy groups also tell new parents to offer tummy play a couple of times a day, let the whole body move, and speak up early if baby always looks one way.
If your baby hates it
A lot of babies do at first. Start with a minute. Try it on your chest, across your lap, or on a blanket with a toy right in front of their eyes. Stay there. If they look sleepy, roll them onto their back in a safe sleep space. Never walk away while they are on their tummy.
When to call someone
If your baby only looks one direction, cannot lift their head, or you just have a feeling that movement is harder than it should be, tell your pediatrician or call us. CDC milestone lists are a conversation starter. They are not a grade.
Sources
- Moon RY, Carlin RF, Hand I, Task Force on Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, Committee on Fetus and Newborn. Sleep-Related Infant Deaths: Updated 2022 Recommendations for Reducing Infant Deaths in the Sleep Environment. Pediatrics. 2022;150(1):e2022057990. doi.org/10.1542/peds.2022-057990 ↗
- Laughlin J, Luerssen TG, Dias MS, AAP Committee on Practice and Ambulatory Medicine, Section on Neurological Surgery. Prevention and Management of Positional Skull Deformities in Infants. Pediatrics. 2011;128(6):1236-1241. doi.org/10.1542/peds.2011-2220 ↗
- Sargent B, Coulter C, Cannoy J, Kaplan SL. Physical Therapy Management of Congenital Muscular Torticollis: A 2024 Evidence-Based Clinical Practice Guideline. Pediatr Phys Ther. 2024;36(4):370-421. PubMed 39356257 ↗
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Learn the Signs. Act Early. Developmental milestones. cdc.gov/act-early ↗