Amongst many other things that make your baby happy, sleeping peacefully is one of them. But, no mother wants to get just any sleep positioner except if it is FDA approved infant sleep positioner.
However, do not get in a rush to buy a sleep positioner, and don’t be too quick to condemn the product either because what you need is a proper understanding of this baby care item.
Table could not be displayed.For those in a rush to buy sleep positioners to as to improve the baby’s night rest, be wary of your choice because different authorities have tagged it unsafe and irrelevant.
But then, before you quickly decide that you will not buy it, note that sleep positioners are in fact, very useful and what you need is to get only the infant sleep positioner approved by a baby health care authority.
Table of Contents
What is a Sleep Positioner?
The baby Sleep Positioner is made to support babies while they sleep. Sometimes, they are personally created by nursing moms by placing pillows at each side of the baby’s bed.
They are intended to hold children in a particular post while sleeping and are only meant for children within the first six months. For some mothers, the idea is to add wedges to lift the head of the sleeping baby.
There are two types of sleep positioners. The First is a soft cushion with smooth wedges fixed at opposite ends of the cushion. The second comes with a pillow to gently tilt your infant upright.
The sleep positioners can be used as add-ons for your child’s bed because they are considered a great precaution against SIDS – Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. Annually, this syndrome is responsible for the death of so many children.
Positioners for sleeping babies were formally recommended for children’s use. However, new sleep rules to ensure safety advises nursing moms to put the child to bed on her bareback. Therefore, every infant sleep positioner should be designed to make sure your baby sleeps in that position.
There are different types of sleep positioners:
- Foam wedges or tubes connected to a mat on which the child sleeps
- Padded plastic tubes on the sides with mesh
- Wedge-shaped mat with side pads.
All these are intended to create an obstacle to stop the infant from rolling off. However, there are two types of sleep positioners you should not use.
- The sleep positioner you make by yourself by adding different materials to your babies sleeping mat/cushion. According to the FDA, this could lead to suffocation, and so it is not wise. It is not advisable to use nursing pillows, cushions, rolled blankets, or other improvised bolsters as sleep positioners. If a child is on the ground, sofa, or bed, you should not use these products because, once again, the best position for a child to sleep is on his bareback.
- Most big companies stopped producing infant sleep positioners after warnings from authorities. Sadly, they did not recall those products. Even though the product is now absent in many shops, it can be seen online and in garage sales. Do not use a second-hand sleep positioner and here is how to know them: They don’t come with the original wrapping and guidelines. Furthermore, they are not always labeled as sleep positioners.
Is It Safe to Use Infant Positioner?
Naturally, infant sleep positioners have been marketed with labels indicating that they decrease SIDS danger, but the FDA advises that there is no evidence to back up such purpose.
FDA-approved sleeping position for an infant is clear and straightforward regardless of if sleep positioners are safe or not. According to the Food and Drug Administration, It is strongly advised that babies should lie on their bareback without anything supporting them. This will reduce the risk of SIDS.
Even when your child has the strength to move from one point to another, once your child is powerful enough to roll over, it remains safe to place the child on her back to sleep. You should not continue re-positioning the child to find comfort after rolling and placing aside a pillow is not safe as well.
After reviewing the death of 13 infants in 2010, the US Consumer Product Safety Commission and the FDA issued a warning on the correct usage of sleep positioners. It was discovered that suffocation from these positioners was the cause of the deaths.
While some died when their face was pinned to the side pillow, others suffocated when after being stuck in between positioners and a baby cot.
The report further revealed that even babies that initially got laid on their back on the positioners were seen in a different position after a while.
The truth is, sleep positioners might have been proven to be unnecessary as it causes suffocation, yet there are some positioners certified for optimum safety for your child as it maintains the right sleeping position for your baby.
Apart from sleep positioners, every nursing mom can get a bare bassinet, with only a matching crib mattress and a tailored sheet. These are also safe and reliable for your baby’s sound sleep.
Benefits of Having a Sleep Positioner
All nursing moms are pleased to see their little infants laying peacefully; however, when it comes to infants sleeping safety, it is best to differentiate between fantasy and reality. Baby care companies are not making it any easier for nursing moms as well. Products are being manufactured now and then, which raises the issue of safety for the parent.
So, before you quickly bring out your wallet for another new baby care item, it is advisable to be crystal clear on two things: Benefits and Safety. Despite the widespread negativity, sleep positioners, like every baby brand, serve some benefits. Check out the packaging and paperwork to decide if the advantages outweigh the disadvantages which are all dependent upon the specific need of the mother.
In the end, it is essential to remember that, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics, every sound infant should only lie on their bare back to avoid suffocation and death linked to SIDS. This is the only rule which you can use to determine the best infant sleep positioners to buy.
Advantages
- It makes the child sleep easily and happily.
- Positioners ensure that the child remains on his/her back
- Helps to avoid the formation of flat spots.
- Keeps the baby’s head a little higher
- If a child is on a big bed with you, it makes sure the child does not fall.
- Wedge positioners limit spit-ups and other tummy issues.
Disadvantages
- It gives a feeling of security, which is wrong as all baby care products are not 100% safe.
- According to CPSC, so many sleep positioners can cause suffocation.
- There is no evidence that there are advantages in using sleep positioners yet.
- Using any side pillow or wedge is risky.
What FDA Said About Infant Sleep Positioner
The job of the FDA -US Food and Drug Administration is regulation. And it includes control of all types of baby care products that claim to heal, reduce, repair or deter a disease or condition in a baby.
These claims can be found on the product’s ad, package, or label. Sleep Positioners have been tagged as medical products since it was produced to enhance sleep. (This planned use may be described by label statements, labeling guidelines, use directions, or advertising items for brands). Therefore the question arises, is there an infant sleep positioner approved by FDA?
The CPSC -Consumer Product Safety Commission monitors sleeping positioners that do not fulfill the requirements of a medical product.
According to FDA, Some kinds of sleep positioners may have elevated pads or cushions generally referred to as ‘Bolsters’ connected to each side of a mat or a wedge to lift the head of a baby. Other items known as “nests” may have smooth, wall-like constructions surrounding the foundation.
The FDA believes that sleep positioners argue that it maintains a child’s sleeping position and are often used for children below the age of 6 months. The American Academy of Pediatrics advises that babies rest on their backs, placed on a robust and empty surface, to decrease the danger of sleep-related child death, along with Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).
Therefore, infant sleep positioners must have the safe criteria which are provided by the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Safety Rules When Choosing a Sleep Positioner
Amid suggestions from doctors and specialists in baby care, so many mothers still choose to use a sleep positioner and enjoy positive results. But, remember to prioritize safety above anything else if you believe that sleep positioners would be okay for your infant. Let’s give you some general safety rules to look out for when buying an infant sleep positioner.
- Ensure that the positioner is tough against fire.
- Select a strong cushioning that will not interfere with airflow.
- Choose reliable features rather than design.
- Buy an air duct sleep positioner
- Look for a sleep positioner with complete paperwork and guidelines.
- Be sure that the one you buy adjusts as the child gets older
Top Infant Sleep Positioner/bassinet in Compliance With AAP Infant Sleeping Rule
1. Newzealkids Baby Wedge Pillow
Apart from the beautiful design, Newzealkids Baby Wedge Pillow provides 100% comfort and efficiency. Nursing moms love this infant sleep positioner for the assurance of safety it offers. Working mothers who find themselves caught up in daily activities can place their baby in this sleep positioner and head over to their day’s work without worry.
It is designed to tilt the head of your baby through 28o above the delicate tummy of the baby. This is a great sleeping position for maximum comfort, as it is also suitable for your baby while feeding. It resolves spit-ups, colic, and reflux due to the structure, and hence, it does more than improve the child’s sleep.
The soft cotton will not only give the baby comfort but also avoid the heat that builds up during sleep. The material can also be washed easily from time to time, even as it is passed on to other infants.
Yes, the company offers a lifetime warranty for this product. To top it off, Newzealkids Baby Wedge Pillow is 100% approved by different federal institutions responsible for regulating sleeping brands, i.e. it is safe.
2. Boppy Original Newborn Lounger
The boppy brand have been producing baby care items for children’s comfort for more than 30 years, and so, they are known for reliability. It is endorsed by women and men alike. The Boppy Newborn Lounger is designed to look like a perfect bird’s nest to fit your child.
You don’t have to worry about taking it along when traveling; the design is smooth and portable built with a sleek handle to take with you whenever you are going wherever.
Being flexible, you can place it anywhere in the house, room, office, or kitchen, place it anywhere on the floor and keep an eye on your child while he/she sleeps. The good thing is that the material can be easily washed in a washing machine.
However, you should not worry about safety. Having spent such amount of years producing childcare products, Boppy Newborn Lounger is certified as 100% safe.
Even the design alone shows that it helps the baby to maintain the right sleeping position even when your child tries to roll over.
3. OCCObaby Universal Baby Crib Wedge Pillow
While other sleep positioners are mostly produced to improve sleep only, OCCObaby Universal Baby Crib Wedge Pillow is mainly built on ending the problem of reflux in infants.
It is inclined at an angle of 14o, and so, your child is sure to sleep sound without the problem of continually spitting up. Even when it is dense to support the child’s bassinet firmly, the texture is soft to make it easy when washing or cleaning up.
The manufacturers seem to understand what every mother wants for her child and so, together with a design to make it beautiful, the OCCObaby Universal Baby Crib Wedge Pillow is packed with instructions on how to successfully mount it. The product can fit almost any baby bed size, and when traveling, it is not difficult to take along as the fabric can easily be folded neatly for the road.
Away from design and comfort, the infant sleeping positioner is free from BPA, lead, and Formaldehyde. Certified by CPSC – Consumer Protection Service Commission, it is considered as 100% safe for your lovely angel.
4. DockATot Deluxe+ Dock (Pristine White) – The All in One Baby Lounger
According to the company, this product is the “next best thing to the womb” and it so for a lot of good reasons. Every mother wishing to sleep together with his/her child has found a better way to do so with DockATot Baby Lounger.
As you now know, sleeping with a child on an adult be is not entirely safe, but with this product, you don’t have to worry about such risk.
It is suitable for infants within their first eight months of life. However, it is more than just sleeping; you will be able to have your morning playtime with your child close to you as you cuddle and have fun together with your beloved.
DockATot Baby Lounger is portable and can easily be packed when traveling. It comes with different cover colors to fit the different environmental setting you and your baby find yourselves in.
With the soft docks, your baby stays on his back without rolling over and as a result, gives your baby sound and safe sleep. It is flexible, and so, as your child grows, you can adjust the dock to fit the baby correctly.
5. OCCObaby Universal Bassinet Wedge
This bassinet wedge is not only designed to help your child sleep safe and sound, but it also helps in resolving spit-ups and other tummy-related issues experienced by the child while sleeping.
It is tilted at 12o above stomach level, which is the advisable elevation given by pediatricians for standard sleeping angles. It is durable and firm, which is also a recommendation from the American Academy of Pediatrics.
The material is free from toxic chemicals that can harm the sleeping child such as BPA, Phthalates, and lead.
So, therefore, you don’t have to worry about your child’s safety. OCCObaby Universal Wedge is very easy to tidy up even when it comes with a waterproof cover. Anytime your child spits up on a sleep positioner; there is a risk of bad smell odor and bacteria that could stick to the baby lounger.
OCCObaby Wedge is bacteria resistant as it also fights the bad smell; all you will need to do is wipe the solid material with a combination of soap and warm cloth. It can entirely be used together with different types of bassinet but be sure that you get the size of the bassinet you would like to use it with before buying.
OCCObaby Wedge is 15 inches. However, the manufacturers strongly recommend that you talk to your, “Pediatrician before use”.
6. Reste Safe Sleep Solution
Reste Safe Sleep Solution is distinctively flat and very flexible, helping the baby sleep soundly without limiting the motion of the baby. It comes with the velcro material, which makes it very easy for you to place and remove your baby at any time, also allowing the baby to stretch his arms and legs freely.
With this product, you and your baby earn maximum comfort and peace of mind. It is advisable for parents whose babies are fond of rolling over now and then.
Every parent using this product would discover that their infant is getting more of a profound rest now as the baby also enjoys the convenience that is typical to the bassinet cot.
In addition to this, the infant sleep positioner provides nursing moms with such security of realizing that the baby is always on her back while sleeping, not on her stomach.
It is suitable for infants between the age ranges of 0 to 9 months. It is super simple to arrange after being bought. This also operates with sleeping bags and crib mattresses. Give this product to any future parent as a gift, and they would forever be grateful for it.
Final Words
Sleep positioners have gotten a negative reputation due to the initial product created and the first myth surrounding ideal sleeping methods for babies. However, considering the new sleep rules for babies (laying infants on their bare backs), the best sleep positioners here will be Hiccapop DayDreamer and Boppy Original Newborn Lounger.
Apart from high ratings from the general review, the two products ensure maximum safety for the sleeping infant. Hiccapop Day Dreamer is built in such a way to maintain the sleeping position of the child as it tilts the baby’s head forward.
Nevertheless, whether you choose to go for sleep positioners or not, we can all agree that getting your baby to sleep safe and sound is the goal of every nursing mom.
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