Any paediatricians, osteopaths, physiotherapists? Could you answer a question about spinal development in infants please?

[EachPeachPearMum]

I am due in jan with DC2... and have thought that this time round I'd like to have a baby hammock (amby) rather than a cot (well- DD is still in the cotbed ).

I am worried about how this will affect baby's spinal development as he will not be laid flat?

DD had plagio and reflux, both of which would have been alleviated to a certain extent by a hammock, so it seemed like a good idea for DS... but I cannot get the SIDS advice out of my head- "your baby should sleep on a mattress that is firm, flat, well-fitting and clean."

On a similar note- I have been looking for a new pushchair, and many seem to have 'bucket' type seats, rather than 'L' shaped 90 degree seats- do these have a detrimental effect on babies' spinal development at all?

I cannot see the difference between a baby's position in a hammock or a bucket-type pushchair and being in a car seat, which I know is bad for them.

I have not seen evidence to suggest that these are bad for spinal development, however, I have been told of small babies that have died through SIDS because they have fallen asleep in buggies that do not lie flat and their windpipes have collapsed. This is why they recommend that babies sleep flat. I would be wary of the angle myself because of this. It is also not recommended that a baby is allowed to sleep in a car seat for this reason too.

Someone with more knowledge will be along soon.

thanks avenanap! I think the risk is higher for smaller babies as well... but dd was only 6 11.

Anyone around today?

Okay... last attempt... anyone?

I'm not an expert but I was just thinking 2 things:

Firstly wouldn't a cotbed be more practical and longer lasting

Secondly I would be very worried about SIDS as phantom has said. You can get swinging cribs with a raisesd head if that helps.....

Am not any of those specialists, but we did use an Amby hammock with dd. She loved it. Slept like a dream after two weeks and no problems with colic etc. We kept her in it until nine months.

The thing is that babies do lie flat in the bottom of the hammock because the hammock has its own mattress. I mean, the Amby is not like one of those floppy netting jobbies from a travel brochure where the sides curl up and you're lolling/sprawling inelegantly in the bottom of a U-shape. And you can scrunch up the fabric of the hammock to bring the head end up, but the baby is still lying on a flat plane if you get my drift. Ie, not with curved spine and squashy windpipe.

Well, I was sort of going to say the same as Tallis, they are pretty much flat (think sleeping on a v soft mattress - it does look v comfy), and you can place them so their head is slightly raised. It's not like sleeping in a car seat at all.

Though you do have to kinda throw them in!

Thanks!
yes tallis that is much clearer!
Is the mattress quite firm then?

Would agree with Tallis & Umlellala, and also add that they are used in SCBUs in the UK & Oz, so I think they must be ok under the SIDS guidelines.
Not sure about the pushchair question though.

Can't quite remember about firmness of mattress and have now lent our Amby to friend with new ds - will ask her to go and have a feel. Her ds, by the way, is v happy sleeping in it. I just know it's sufficiently firm that they are supported from head to toe in a flat position. Sort of like this (attempted cross-section) _/ I've certainly come across firmer cot mattresses, but I've also come across some the same.

Suncream is right about the SCBUs. I had a maternity nurse who was quite old-school and very cat's-bottom-pursed-lips when she first saw the Amby, and was all for bunging dd into unyielding, unswinging Moses basket. She was soon converted to the Amby after a few failed attempts at settling baby into Moses basket .

I'm sure you know the logic behind Amby - that for nine months the baby has been, as it were, bounced up and down in the womb and is suddenly expected to lie down flat as if he were a floorboard. Not surprisingly, many don't take kindly to it. We used to do a few gentle bounces of the hammock and that was it. Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzs all round. Heaven.

And Um is right about getting them in. You kind of shovel, almost like passing a rugby ball underarm (i imagine; never actually done that). There's a knack. when you first try the hammock just swings away from you and you think, Uh, can't be right. Then you learn to kind of anchor and swoosh at the same time.. just takes a couple of goes.