How to Know When a Baby Can Sleep on Its Tummy

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that parents place babies on their backs for sleeping until the first birthday. Eventually, as your baby grows and develops throughout the first year, he will become able to roll over onto his tummy independently. If you find your baby sleeping on his tummy after you positioned him on his back, whether you reposition him depends on his age and physical abilities.

Instructions

    • 1

      Reposition your baby on her tummy if he rolls over from his back and is less than 4 months old. Between 1 and 4 months of age, babies have the highest incidence of sudden infant death syndrome, but SIDS can occur from birth to the first birthday, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics' HealthyChildren.org. If your baby is older than 4 months, the highest risk for SIDS has passed, but some risk continues until your baby reaches his first birthday.

    • 2

      Analyze your baby̵7;s gross motor skills, which enable independent rolling from back to tummy. As long as your baby has the strength necessary to roll from his back to his tummy while in his crib, it is generally acceptable to leave him in his preferred sleeping position, according to the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. Most babies accustomed to back-sleeping do not begin to roll freely until about 5 to 6 months of age, according to the SIDS and Kids website. The AAP encourages parents to give their baby supervised tummy time with their infant playing on his tummy for three to five minutes at a time, two to three times daily.

    • 3

      Check with your pediatrician about tummy sleeping to get the final go-ahead, advises sleep consultant Nicole Johnson, with the Baby Sleep Site. Because of the elevated risk of SIDS from tummy sleeping, it̵7;s important to receive a physician̵7;s recommendation about the safety of this sleep position for your baby before you allow it to occur.

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