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Original poster

Just how big is the risk of cot death for babies who sleep on their tummies? Anyone know?

25 replies

Rowlers · 02/03/2008 19:06

So I know the advice is sleep on back, feet to foot of cot, no hat, not near a radiator or on a sofa etc etc.
But what I can't seem to find out is just why babies who sleep on their tummies are at greater risk? Wht is it about sleeping on tummy makes it risky?
How big is the risk?
I've looked on fsid website and can't find this info.
Just message not to do it.
Any experts out there?

OP posts:

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McDreamy · 02/03/2008 19:08

I went through all this 5 years ago when DD would only sleep on her front. I could not find a study that looked at sleeping position in isolation, it was always with another risk factor. So I will be intrigued to find out if anyone else has an answer.

Original poster

Rowlers · 02/03/2008 19:11

ds 4 months and hadn't slept through the night once, waking every 3 hours or so.
wouldn't sleep on back last night so nervously put him on tummy. instant relief and slept until 7 am.
torn now as to what to do!

OP posts:

bethoo · 02/03/2008 19:12

Rowlers- i think it has something to do with the fact tht as newborns they cannot support their head as weak neck muscles so if they turn onto their front, face facing the matress they may not be able to lift their head back up and round iyswim?

bethoo · 02/03/2008 19:13

Rowlers - just think that before all this stuff about cot death came out majority of babies were put on their front, i know my mum did with all 3 of her babies plus we all had duvets!!

CorrieDale · 02/03/2008 19:17

Well, I don't know the actual stats, but apparently the countries where the Back to Sleep campaign has been implemented have seen the number of cot deaths halve. And then not smoking reduces the risk further - it's the next highest factor.

I wouldn't take the risk (bear in mind, I say this through sleep envy - waking every 3 hours is a good night for us and DD is 8 mo tomorrow) but I did let her sleep on her side from about 3 weeks old, propped up by blankets, because her reflux meant that as soon as she was on her back, she'd hurl. Tummy sleeping was a step too far, though as soon as she started to roll, I cheerfully put her on her side, unpropped, and she'd roll onto her tummy. Didn't make a jot of difference to her sleep though.

spicemonster · 02/03/2008 19:20

I don't know. I do know that I weighed up the risk of cot death vs the risk of my sanity with a baby who refused to sleep in any other position and decided that the risk to my sanity was higher. I co-slept until my DS was 6 months though (and still do whenever he is under the weather now he's nearly a year).

I think it's a question of how desperate you are really ...

Original poster

Rowlers · 02/03/2008 19:22

It's bugging me not really knowing for sure!
So if baby at 4 months has good head and neck control and can turn his head from one side to the other easily, is the risk reduced then?
And if there are no other risk factors at all in the equation, how does that alter things?
Wish the webiste had more stats to read!

OP posts:

RustyBear · 02/03/2008 19:24

When my two were born (they're 20 & 18 now) I was told to put them down on their fronts, never on their backs as they could choke.
My sister had had her first baby in Thailand and her maid (her husband's a diplomat, which is why they had a maid!)gave her a couple of stuffed fabric rolls, which were traditionally used to keep babies on their sides - my sister used them with both her boys & then passed them on to me - my two slept very well with them, though DD soon started shifting onto her tummy & usually used to end up cuddling the roll that had started off behind her back.

Original poster

Rowlers · 02/03/2008 19:27

I'd say I'm not desperate but am finding it harder and harder.
And now he has slept through comfortably and happily (he woke gradually and with a huge smile), I'm wondering just how desperate he has been for milk each time he has woken in the night and how much of the waking was due to discomfort.

OP posts:

OneHandedTypist · 02/03/2008 19:32

I THOUGHT SIDE-SLEEPING DOUBLED THE RISK OF sids, & tummy sleeping was 7-9x the risk of back sleeping. But This says only 2.4x incr in risk solely from tum-sleeping.

pelafina · 02/03/2008 19:36

Message withdrawn

bodiddly · 02/03/2008 19:38

I thought that the reason was that babies that sleep on their tummies usually sleep deeper and longer which means that there is a greater chance of cot death. So although parents are chuffed that their baby sleeps through (potentially) this could be dangerous if they have breathing problems etc and dont wake up naturally!

canadianmum · 02/03/2008 19:40

I am afraid I don't know the risk numbers but I was amazed by how many friends of mine admitted a year or two later that their babies had slept on their tummies. My dd slept on her side for the first 6 weeks until she decided she would rather sleep on her back.

My prem twins were put on their tummies to sleep in SCBU for some reason, but were obviously monitored continually so were never at risk.

perhaps your baby has a bit of reflux and is just much more comfortable on his tummy. You could speak to your GP, they might be able to allay some fears, particularly if you are doing everything else by the book....

OneHandedTypist · 02/03/2008 19:42

I found another ref saying risk is ruffly double over back sleepers... so 1:3800 or so?

Also, Habitual tum sleepers at much lower risk than Babies who only occasionally tum-sleep.

Original poster

Rowlers · 02/03/2008 20:07

Well he's on his back now!
I didn't know that OHT, that habitual tummy sleepers at much lower risk than occasional tummy sleepers.
I did read somewhere (could even have been an archived MN thread) which said risk peaks at two months and starts to reduce at 3 months and is almost gone by a year?
Thanks for the input!

OP posts:

Piffle · 02/03/2008 20:10

rowlers. I've had three tummy sleepers

welliemum · 02/03/2008 20:13

It's a small risk to take, but if it happens to you, it happens 100%.

queenofthedumbquestion · 02/03/2008 20:13

I read somewhere that part of the risk is precisely cos they tend to sleep better on their tummies - heavier sleeping means they're less likely to wake up and alert you if they get too hot. Problem with ds is that no matter how many times we plonk him on his back, he rolls straight over

kinki · 02/03/2008 20:25

I thought it was something to do with inhaling air close to the mattress. ie, if the mattress had got wet, through sweat, leaky nappy etc there could be mould forming within the mattress which could be inhaled. I don't think I made that up, I'm sure I heard it somewhere.

Also, someone posted a few months ago that they took the cover off their mattress (following advice from another poster iirc) and was shocked to see the foam was covered in mould. If a baby had laid on it's tummy on that at the very least would have got some respiratory problems I would have thought.

derah · 03/03/2008 10:38

Just come to post about this same thing... I knew there would already be a thread on it cos it's an ongoing issue!!

My DD1 (now 2.6) would not sleep on her back for longer than 10 mins at a time. Not during the day, not at night, we cracked very quickly and let her sleep on her tum.

DD2 was born on Saturday morning, and I was determined that this time I would push harder to get new baby to sleep on her back since I was so worried all the time about DD1. Well, after 2 nights of absolutely no sleep unless baby was brought into bed with us, we cracked at 4am this morning and put her on her tummy. Finally, some sleep for everyone.

If my choice is between co-sleeping and baby on tum, I'm afraid I'm going to have to go with tum, because my DH sleeps very heavily, and I worry far too much when she's in bed with us that he'll squish her, so that means I don't sleep!!

It's just so hard... you know that sleeping on baby's back is safer, and you really want to do it, but if baby really literally will not sleep that way, what can you do?

Has anyone tried to persevere with a reluctant back-sleeper and managed to get them used to it?

pelafina · 03/03/2008 11:41

Message withdrawn

krc · 03/03/2008 13:33

derah, I think that overall cot deaths have reduced by 75% since the "back to sleep" campaign, so whether the reduction is down to this or other advice also given (not to use soft bedding / pillows etc.) isn't clear, but it seems likely to be largely due to sleeping on back. Hope this helps. My ds slept on his side for a while - propped up with a rolled up towel. I thought this was a bit of a compromise. Good luck

krc · 03/03/2008 13:34

Sorry, meant to address it to Rowlers...

SammyC · 03/03/2008 13:40

My best friends lost their wee one (12 weeks) to sids, their ds was on his front. I would say please do not risk it. The advice is there for a reason, feel free to question it but be aware of the awful saddening consequences..........Its not worth the risk imho

claireybee · 03/03/2008 14:29

Both of mine (dd 21months, ds 12 weeks) are tummy sleepers. I think if it's a case of them not sleeping through the night on their backs then I wouldn't risk it but for both of mine it has been a case of screaming when put to sleep on their backs. Neither would settle themselves to sleep that way, and if I got them to sleep and then lay them on their backs they would wake in under 2 minutes so for us it isn't a case of sleeping for longer on their tummies but not sleeping at all on their backs. Of course I would still blame myself if anything were to happen!
As she has got older dd has started sleeping in all different positions but still prefers her tummy.
GP told me main risk is overheating when on tummy so to be extra careful with layers/room temperature. Also to do everything else by the book to minimise the risk.

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