Necessary Infant Accessories: Baby Pillows

07/31/08

One hears of numerous expert opinions on why babies do not require pillows and how dangerous pillows can be for the health of your baby. Most of such advice is needlessly exaggerated and do not give the right picture of whether to use baby pillows or not. It is a fact that children less than one year of age do not usually need pillows and in some cases, the pillows may not be safe for his/her health. However, past that age, using a baby pillow is no more harmful and can actually aid your baby in sleeping better.

During the early years, the skull bones are very soft and keeping the head in one position may result in the skull developing a lopsided appearance. A rigid on the back sleeping posture can lead to the development of a hollow at the back of the baby's head. A baby pillow helps stave off such a happening by giving the right support to the head. It is important to select the appropriate baby pillow. A feather pillow can cause allergies and a soft pillow may result in suffocation; both are therefore best avoided. A pillow such as the latest memory foam baby pillows are good products which provide the requisite support and firmness and are accident free.

Baby pillows come in all shapes and sizes. The key is to identify which sort of pillow is best for your baby. Baby pillows used in cribs are just as safe as any other provided they are thin and narrow. The proof of this statement lies in the fact that all hospitals use crib pillows in their childcare units. Should your baby develop a cold, a baby pillow is advocated. The reason is that a slightly elevated baby head helps the baby breath easier when down with a cold. A baby pillow also helps prevent acid reflux and ear infections. Some opine that a good time for transition to pillows is when the baby moves from the crib to a bed. The reason that they base this premise is on the fact that on a bed the chances of smothering are greatly reduced as the pillow is liable to fall off. In fact your baby may even start indicating a need for a pillow is you observe carefully. The signal comes in the form of the baby using a stuffed toy or a towel as a headrest on its own. Such a gesture is your baby's way of telling you to do just that; buy a good baby pillow.