Baby Pillows May Suffocate your baby to death

12/06/08

Many parents have heard about the harm baby pillows may cause to their child. But that the baby pillows are harmful is something they simply refuse to believe. Therefore something that is so innocent looking as a baby pillow is still victimizing many children today. What parents should know is that, the main cause of fatalities under that age is SIDS or sudden infant death syndrome. SIDS is associated with suffocation, strangulation and rebreathing. The baby pillow plays an important role in most of these cases.

Soft bedding, baby sleeping on his stomach and baby pillow causes strangulation and suffocation in children under the age of one. Aside from soft bedding and sleeping on their stomach, the baby pillow is as harmful. Major causes of suffocation in younger children includes the baby pillows. This is because the baby pillow may be grasped by the baby and it may end up on his face. If the baby fails to remove the pillow from his face, he may get suffocated. In some cases, the baby may get too close to the baby, causing him to get suffocated.

Rebreathing is another leading cause of SIDS. Medically speaking it is when the baby breathes carbon dioxide or bad air, as what it is more commonly known. Rebreathing occurs when instead of inhaling oxygen, the baby inhales his own exhaled carbon dioxide. Rebreathing may be caused by loose sheets or beddings getting over his head. What many do not know is that baby pillows may also cause rebreathing. This may occur if the baby pillow gets too close to the face of the baby and the baby re breathes the carbon dioxide he has exhaled. So even if parents secure the beddings and sheet, if the baby pillow is not removed, the baby is still not safe from rebreathing.

Doctors advise parents, to reduce SIDS risk, not to use baby pillows until the baby is sleeping on toddler bed. This means that the baby is not ready to use pillows until he is on his toddler age. This should not be a dilemma because the baby can sleep comfortably even without baby pillows. In fact, according to medical sleep experts, babies and even adults do not need pillows in order to get a good and comfortable sleep. However, if you really want to introduce your baby to pillows, do so only when he is old enough and sleeping on his toddler bed. This is because you just might introduce him to harm instead of additional comfort.