Baby pillow, if babies shouldn't use a pillow, it's because their bodies don't have the same shape as adults. A baby is a fragile being that takes time before he can walk, run, eat, and survive independently.

Babies need extreme protection and care that ensures not only their well-being but also their health.

1. Baby pillow; No pillow in bed before 2 years

It is good to remember that everything in a baby bed must, above all be safe. Thus, doctors prohibited the pillow before the age of two. Before this age, a pillow can indeed represent discomfort and involve a risk of suffocation if the baby puts it on his face. From 0 to 24 months, the bed should therefore contain only one sleeping bag. Likewise, soft toys should be outside the bed.

2. Baby pillow; Cases where pillow needs are essential

There are times when the baby absolutely needs to have his head up. This may be the case with a baby with a cold or a baby who tends to always regurgitate after meals. The solution is to use an inclined plane to be able to settle the baby, with the upper body in a 10 or 15 degrees position. The accessory used to achieve this should be under the fitted sheet or even under the baby's mattress. In other cases, such as gastroesophageal reflux disease, on prescription from the pediatrician, the baby's pillow may have 30 degrees inclination.

Related: Healthy Baby; ten signs telling parents that their baby is healthy

3. How to choose the right baby pillow?

From the age of two, the child can have a pillow to sleep on. This will allow him to raise his head to breathe better but also to digest better. Attention, you must nevertheless observe some safety rules in the purchase of this famous pillow!

A. First of all, the pillow must be in absolute compliance with safety standards indicated on the product label.

B. A synthetic pillow is preferable because this material allows air to pass through and limits the baby's sweating during sleep.

C. If possible, choose it hypoallergenic but also anti-mite to avoid allergies.

D. Neither too big nor too small, a baby's pillow should allow him to rest his head and the top of his shoulders, no more and no less. It must be flat enough and adapted to the child's morphology to ensure the cervical and spine's optimal position. It is therefore advisable to banish thick pillows and to turn to flat models or extra-flat for toddlers. For older children, we can turn to soft, low-swelling pillows.

4. What is good for a baby's sleep

And even for adults, the absence of a pillow would be ideal. However, for many reasons, there is a need to use one. For the baby, the risks are clear so well that you must do everything to avoid them. In the best of cases, it is always necessary to seek a pediatrician's advice on how to ensure a good sleep for your baby and what to do and what not to do. Indeed, the various ideas evoked in this post address the subject in its entirety, yet each baby has his particularity depending on his health and adaptability to his environment.

Ideally, the baby should sleep comfortably in temperatures between 18 and 20 degrees C. To keep the baby in these conditions, you can put on a sleeping bag. This kind of baby sleeping bag has a top identical to overalls; the baby will fully enjoy his freedom of movement.

5. What are the dangers of the baby pillow?

Attention, if for adults sleeping with their head firmly supported by a soft pillow, is obvious, it is quite different for babies! Indeed, the little baby should not be burdened during his sleep, and external elements should not obstruct his breathing. The risk? That they can no longer breathe and suffocate. Parents are always very vigilant while their baby is sleeping to prevent Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. Thus, to guarantee the baby a sleep worthy of the name, the pillow must be banned from the bed until he is two years old in order to ensure maximum safety. If, however, you want to elevate the toddler's head a little, especially in the event of a cold, you can place a small cushion-type tilting plane of 15 ° under the fitted sheet. Some are equipped with a seat belt so that the baby does not slide down the bed!

Originally published on Live Positively.