For Immediate Release

Contact: John M. Martino
Phone Number:  (215) 895-1186
Date: 07/03/01

In a 1994 national campaign, known as "Back to Sleep," parents were urged to put babies on their backs in an effort to decrease the incidence of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.  Although SIDS is still a mystery, pediatric experts believe that it is not safe to place babies on their stomachs when they are sleeping because there is a greater risk of choking due to blocked air ways or too much carbon dioxide.  Since the campaign was launched, more and more parents have been placing infants on their backs, and the incidence of SIDS in America has decreased by nearly 50 percent.  But this has also scared concerned parents, making them reluctant to place their babies on their stomachs, even during playtime.  Preventing "tummy time" for children can impede certain physical developments, according to Dr. Paula Kramer, chair of the Department of Occupational Therapy at University of the Sciences in Philadelphia.  A British study noted that many children who were put to sleep on their backs did not roll over and crawl in the time pediatric experts say they should.  Some never crawled at all.  Are these milestones a big deal or not?  Occupational therapists say they are.

"We may not see a problem with motor manipulation or hand control in infants," says Kramer, "but we're finding many young children with handwriting problems, difficulties with fine motor skills, like cutting and tracing.  Much of this has to do with lack of strength in the arms and shoulders.  When you put infants on their stomachs during playtime, they develop better head control and they build much-needed strength in their arms and upper extremities."

Occupational therapists agree that putting babies to sleep on their backs is necessary, but they also believe that children, during playtime, will benefit mentally and physically if they are on their stomachs.

"Babies learn by action, rolling over, moving their heads around, and exploring their environment, rather than just lying on their backs receiving stimuli passively," says Kramer.  "They can learn during playtime on their stomachs from ages two to four months and up.  Learning to roll over and crawl are big deals," she adds.  "When we think about child development, we shouldn't think of only mental development, but also physical development.  Hopefully, more parents will allow their infants some tummy time, and we'll see young children with better upper body development and improved fine motor skills."  

To arrange an interview, contact John M. Martino at (215) 895-1186 or e-mail at j.martin@usip.edu

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