Can a 5 month old sleep on his stomach?

Answer 1

To reduce the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), experts recommend that you place your baby on his back when you put him down to sleep during his first year. The risk of SIDS peaks between 1 and 4 months of age but remains a threat until babies are 12 months.

Once your baby is strong enough to roll from back to front and front to back by himself, you don't need to worry about him rolling onto his stomach during sleep. But you should still put him down to sleep on his back until he is a year old.

Of course, you'll also want to follow other precautions to reduce the risk of SIDSthroughout your baby's first year. Make sure his mattress is firm with just a fitted sheet over it and there's nothing else in his crib - no pillows, blankets, stuffed animals, or even crib bumpers. Don't overheat the room or overdress your baby, and don't let anyone smoke near him.

Preventing SIDS is the most important reason to put your baby to sleep on her back, but a study published in 2003 in the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine found other benefits, too: Infants who sleep on their back suffer from fewer ear infections, fevers, and stuffy noses than babies who sleep in other positions.

By the way, there's no need to worry that your baby is more likely to choke or aspirate (if she spits up, for example) while she's on her back. Studies have shown that there is no increase in the likelihood of this happening to a baby sleeping on her back.