Babies Must Breathe
It is true of all human babies that they must be able to breathe. This is true in arms, in bed, in wraps, and in cars. Always and everywhere.
Usually there is no difficulty. But in the case of a very young infant, especially premature or weak infants, extra care is wise as the baby may not be able to move their head to get a clear breath, or to move away any obstruction. They are entirely dependent and should ideally never be out of sight.
I love a baby wrap for keeping your baby always under your attentive eye. What you should be looking out for is that the baby’s face is always clear–not covered by cloth or blankets or anything else; and the baby’s neck is straight–not doubled over with chin close to chest.
- When using a cloth baby carrier, make sure it holds the baby in such a safe position and that you can see your baby’s face.
- When putting your baby down to sleep make sure it is on a firm surface with nothing nearby that can end up covering your baby’s face.
- When baby is being held, maintain their position so that their necks are not overly bent.
- When baby is in a car seat, try to keep baby’s head from folding down into an unsafe position. When possible, have an adult where they can see the baby, and do not use the car seat more often than necessary.
Any recommendation that slings and baby carriers be avoided is not necessary when parents understand how to safely care for their infants in AND OUT of carriers. The rules for breathing are the same. Please comment with any questions you may have about this. I teach safe babywearing locally, and will be happy to let you know of any babywearing classes I may know of in other areas.
a few weeks old . . . face clear, head tilted upward
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