| ■ Babies Need Stomach Time to Develop Back and Neck Muscles | 2008.07.07 |
| While having babies sleep on their backs reduces the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), it can impair development of their back and neck muscles, according to U.S. experts. When babies sleep on their backs, it means they miss out on 12 hours of time they used to get on their stomachs while sleeping. This means they don't get much-needed stretching and strengthening of their back and neck muscles, which can lead to early motor delay, according to the Pathways Awareness Medical Round Table, United Press International reported. The round table -- a group of pediatricians, surgeons, physical therapists, nurses and researchers -- developed a set of standards for stomach time that specifies when to start, how much infants need, and the best ways to encourage the activity. About one in 40 babies is diagnosed with early motor delay, which can range from low muscle tone to cerebral palsy. Some early motor delays are present at birth and others develop or are made worse by lack of stomach time. Physical therapy can help children with early motor delay to catch up quickly, UPI reported. |