Body pillow

Many baby pillows with various types of design and decoration are available at stores and craft shows. Parents, or their family or friends, may be tempted to buy a baby pillow as a personalized gift for a new baby. But is a baby pillow safe for your baby? If you receive a baby pillow as a gift or purchase one for your child, there are some chilling facts you must know before you place the pillow in the crib with your baby.

SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome) is the leading cause of death in the United States for infants one month to one year of age. In 1992 the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommended that babies be placed in a non prone position to sleep, as a result of findings in other countries. In 1994, the Back To Sleep campaign was initiated as a joint effort by several national agencies and consumer groups. Following this, various studies and surveys were conducted to evaluate the relevance of this change on the occurrence of SIDS. These studies showed the rate of SIDS decreased by 50%, but other related factors were also discovered. In 2005, an AAP task force released a new statement, which included several recommendations. Foremost, babies must be laid to sleep on the back only, not on the side. The statement also recommended that the only items to put in the crib with the baby should be a firm mattress and fitted sheet. If a bumper pad is used it must not be a loose, fluffy type. No baby pillow or toys or other objects should be included. In response to increased incidence of flat head syndrome, alternate methods of prevention were advised. Positioning other than on the back or use of a baby pillow were not deemed worth the risk of SIDS by the AAP.

There is a baby pillow on the market, called Baby Sleep Positioner, which includes the recommendations for SIDS prevention in its advertising. The baby pillow sleep positioner is made of memory foam and keeps the infant in the recommended position, while cushioning the back of the head. The statement released by the AAP is clear that it does not endorse any specific commercial products. Prior to using the baby pillow sleep positioner, parents should first seek the advice of their Pediatrician to be safe.

Doctors do not recommend using a pillow for a baby. Doctors recommend introducing a pillow to a toddler at around two years of age. Toddlers can become attached to their pillows. Toddlers may find pillows give them a sense of security when they hug the soft,springy material to their body.

Using a pillow before the age of two can be dangerous. Using a pillow with a baby increases the risk of suffocation. If a baby should end up with his face in a pillow he is not able to turn away from or push away the pillow. Babies under the age of two often roll over face down into a pillow and can not roll back on their own. If a caregiver is not around when a baby rolls over into a pillow,the results can be tragic.

Introducing a toddler to a pillow can begin around the age of two. Toddlers do not always think a pillow is for sleeping. Pillows can provide a sense of security more than comfort for a toddler. The soft plush feeling of a pillow makes it super cuddly and huggable. The cuddly feeling when hugging a pillow may help a toddler feel more secure when a caregiver is not around. Toddlers do not use pillows only for resting their heads but may sleep with their entire body on it or curl up with a pillow. Toddlers may grab any pillow they see and curl up with it to sleep.

Doctors do not recommend using a pillow for a baby. To prevent possible suffocation,do not use a pillow with a child under the age of two. Two year olds can safely use a pillow. However,do not be surprised to find your child curled up with a pillow instead of resting his head on it. Pillows can provide a great source of security for your child when you are not around. Toddlers may see a pillow,curl up with it,and go to sleep.

Baby pillows are becoming increasingly sought after. It is important for Moms that their baby gets a firm support under their head. That is precisely why new baby product companies are protruding everywhere that sells baby pillows as premier merchandise.

For the fourth consecutive year, baby pillows have been named as the most valuable product for moms by the editor of the American Baby magazine. Baby pillows first came into spotlight some seventeen years ago when these pillows were attributed with the success of now the most well known brand, Boppy. Her company has grown to be a multi million enterprise since then and Boppy has become a name synonymous with Baby pillows.

The pillows come in different sizes and they have different uses. Mainly, the pillows act as a support to the baby and to the Mom. Baby pillows drive its popularity from the fact that it actually helps protect the rear side of the baby’s head from becoming flat. Another important use of these pillows is to protect the child from SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome). Young children are exposed to SIDS when they lay by their sides, which often results in them turning head down on the surface. This situation results in suffocation. These pillows are made to prevent child from turning sides.

The pillows are widely used in bassinets of newly born infant. A thin fluffy material is used in the pillow that makes sure that the cushion shapes itself according to the baby’s head. Other types of pillows are used for breast feeding. Some pillows are made to fit with the car seat of the toddler.

Visco elastic material is a top quality fabric that is recommended while looking for baby pillows. When shopping, it is recommended to look for a material that can be machine washed and doesn’t expose the baby to allergies. The age of the baby should determine the type of pillow. There is no pillow that is fit for all. Instead, pillows come in sizes according to the baby’s age and their head size. Look for a seal from the society of Pediatrics. It is also important for Moms to shop for these pillows in a baby oriented product stores, such as Baby R Us and Pottery Barn Kids.

CRITICAL: We do not recommend baby pillow use for any infant. Please talk to your doctor. SIDS has been associated with baby pillows.

The Internet is full of horrific stories of how babies have suffocated to death because of using baby pillows.Hogwash! I would say. I have a two year old daughter myself and have been using baby pillows for her right from the age of one and a half without any problems. Indeed, some common sense precautions are a must. Do not buy cheap merchandise, the so called ‘best bargains’, they are likely to be of poor quality and hence unsafe. A little bit of market survey through the WalMart, Woolworth and Baby care shops is necessary to get a sense of what best is available. A little bit of research on the Internet also helps. A nice narrow, firm baby pillow is just as good as the latest memory foam pillows. I, of course chose to buy a memory foam pillow which is a trifle expensive. As the name suggests, the memory foam pillow molds to the contours of the baby’s head and thus provides a very good support. It was worth the buy because ever since my baby started sleeping on the baby pillow I have not seen her vomit her nightly feed and she sleeps oh so soundly like an angel.

There are other advantages to using a baby pillow. Doctors say that a slightly elevated head position is helpful in breathing especially if the baby has a cold. They also opine that pillow support prevents cranial deformities which can occur if the baby sleeps with head to one side for a long duration. One thing to check is the pillow cover. Choose cotton rich linen as the pillow cover material. Such a material helps prevent allergic reactions or rashes, a common occurrence if using synthetic pillow covers. Soft pillows or feather filled pillows are a definite miss, the real culprit for all that negative publicity. So go ahead and use baby pillows and see your angel sleep soundly.