Common Infant Questions Answered

Expert Answers to Common Newborn Questions

New parents are full of questions. Everything from sterilizing bottles to co-sleeping to first smiles can weigh on minds that are already preoccupied with just the beauty of this new little person.

The iParenting experts have answered a few of these questions in hopes of making new moms and dads everywhere sleep just a little sounder – if Baby allows it, that is.

Children who roll from back to front or side to front while sleeping appear to be at the same risk for SIDS as children who begin sleeping on their tummy, according to Dr. David Fay, a family physician and associate director of the Waukesha Family Practice Residency Program and assistant professor of Family Medicine at the Medical College of Wisconsin. "For this reason, it is safer to make sure that babies sleep on their backs," he says. "Infants sleeping on their sides are at an intermediate risk: more than supine (on the back) but less than prone (on the tummy)."

Using firm (not soft) padding or clipping something safe to the front of the pajamas to reduce the possibility of turning over may be helpful, Dr. Fay says. "Soft padding or bedding is associated with an increased risk of SIDS. While it is important to reduce the risk of SIDS, the vast majority of children who sleep in the supine position do not suffer this tragic consequence."

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