Be sure to give your baby some “tummy time,” advises the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). Because of an increase in the number of babies with “positional head deformities” (in which heads are slightly flat due to resting in one spot for long periods of time), doctors recommend that parents place babies on their stomachs—while awake—for at least a few minutes each day.
Parents should stay close by, so this can be a perfect time to get on the floor and play with your baby. It will help him gain the strength for crawling and keep you both from becoming too sedentary.
Another way to avoid head deformities is to alternate sides on which your infant rests his head while sleeping. The AAP says to limit the time your baby is in a car or infant seat, too, so that his head isn’t resting against a seat back for long periods.
Experts say your baby needs this every day. Find out why.
