Letting Our 6Mo Old Sleep with a Pillow in Her Crib - Is This a Bad Idea?

"I'm not so concerned about SIDS"

Why not?

It is not safe for your baby to sleep with a pillow in the crib. If her nose is stuffy, use a nasal aspirator to suck the mucus out. If her nose continues to be stuffy, take her to the doctor.

Children are at risk of SIDS from one month to one year. The American SIDS institute recommends "Place infants to sleep in a baby bed with a firm mattress. There should be nothing in the bed but the baby - no covers, no pillows, no bumper pads, no positioning devices and no toys. Soft mattresses and heavy covering are associated with the risk for SIDS."

Our pediatrician (board-certified, well-respected in our community, with a new-patient waiting list a mile long!) insisted that there be nothing in the crib with our daughter until she was one year old. The risk of SIDS is too great. No blankets, no pillows, no toys, no bumper as all of these are suffocation hazzards!

(It's not just my pediatrician that insists on this, either. It's also what the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends.)

I know that you have received several responses, but I thought I'd way in.
My daughter has slept with a pillow since about that age, now 17 months. She would not sleep in her crib on a hard surface so I wrapped a comforter tightly around her crib mattress and doubled it up under her head. It was tight enough not to come loose, but fluffy enough for her to be comfortable and elevated. When she had a cold I put a pillow under the comforter. Now she still sleeps with a pillow in her crib and that is more of her "blankie" than any actual blankie.
Good luck. I know it's hard to make these decisions especially when everything seems "unsafe" these days.

H.,
I would say that you may want to remove the pillow eventually. However, don't push it. She may still be having some sinus stuff going on that isn't apparent or some other minor thing that the pillow makes feel more comfortable. Children and infants are much more in touch with their bodies than most adults. If you don't make a big deal out of it she will probably give it up eventually. Gradually giving her something smaller and smaller is also a good idea.
D. Bohr
retired elementary teacher and early childhood specialist
CranioSacral Therapist
Mom and Grandma

Hi H.,
I talked to a chiropractor this morning after reading your question. He was more concerned with the size of the pillow. He also said that it was better than the baby lying on her tummy with her neck twisted all night.

In speaking with my sister who lost her son to SIDS 19 years ago, it is important to have the baby on a hard surface with no blankes or anything to get tangled up in.

I'm thinking that if you want to do a small receiving blanket type pillow it would be good to actually sew the edges together so it would be a small pillow and no danger of unraveling. She also mentioned that one of the things that was looked at was some babies were being kept too warm, with hats/socks and mittens during the night, evidently babies have some difficulty regulating their body temperatures and having those areas uncovered allow the body to cool down which is much healthier. My sister recommended a light receiving blanket if you feel you need to cover them.

My sister (a school nurse for many years) told me that SIDs is just a term used when dr.s can't really say why a baby dies, there was no cause found in the autopsy of her son. Vaccinations (some contain mercury) are also considered suspect. My sister waited a bit longer for vaccinating her daughter as a precaution.

I hope this information is helpful to you.

I put a blanket under the mattress so my son's head is propped up but I don't have to worry.

Hi H.,
We have a 2 1/2 year old boy. Our pediatrician recommended putting a pillow UNDER the mattress of the crib to elevate their heads during a a cold. He liked the elevation as well, so we have kept the pillow under his mattress. This also helps during the beginning of any colds as it is easier for them to breathe.

I wouldn't do that only because if her head gets under the pillow she may not have the capability to take it off. I would use a crib wedge or put the pillow under the crib to elevate it. My sister's friends 8 month old died of SIDS because she suffocated under her blanket. I would just take the pillow out of the crib.

I think it's ok for them to sleep with a pillow in the crib, as long as you feel safe about no SIDS risk or suffocation. I am sure that lots of people would mainly be concerned about that issue. We did the same thing for my 2nd son - he had lots of congestion in his first 8 months and angling the crib mattress higher at his head end with books underneath just wasnt working enough. If you are worried about the neck, just make sure it's not a super puffy pillow.. Maybe one that is more flat.

Instead of putting the pillow on top of the crib put it under. My husband and I do that when ever our son gets a cold and congestion. He's almost three now and at this point he has a pillow. But when he was younger we worried about a pillow. The pillow underneath the mattress allows the head of the mattress to be elevated to help with the congestion or draining.

I don't know when it's the right time for a blanket. Our son has been sleeping with one for I guess a couple of years. Six months might be too young yet if they get restless and get tangled. Good Luck!

Try putting the pillow (or folded towels or folded blankets) under the mattress. You still get the affect of raising her head, but without the concern of the pillow. Make sure the towels or blankets match the width of the mattress (you may need to use a couple), so that the sides of the mattress aren't weak. I hope she feels better soon!

Hi H.,

One of the best things my dr. told me when my daughter was little was to put a pillow underneath the crib mattress. This way the mattress is angle and you don't have to worry about the direct effects of the pillow. We used it for months & months b/c our dughter had sever reflux. Good luck

Put the pillow (maybe 2 ) under her mattress instead. We did this for my daughter for the same reasons you mentioned -even when we traveled. I never removed it cold or no cold.

I'm unsure if anyone has responded to you yet with this suggestion. There is a wedge sold through One Step Ahead that will work. My son (now 3) and daughter (now 7mths) both use(d) it. It's used to help with breathing issues. It seems to help them with a stuffy head and chest congestion.

http://www.onestepahead.com/catalog/product.jsp?productId...

Good luck!

Hi H.,
You can buy pretty small, thin pillows if you don't already have one. However, please be sure to talk to your pediatrician about your daughter sleeping with a pillow. SIDS and suffocation are different issues, and I do not recall the age when they feel it's safe for babies to have soft items in their cribs. Also, you can put a pillow under her mattress instead, as others have suggested or you can even put a board under two of the crib legs to raise her head even further. We had to do both of these things for our son because of his reflux.
K.

I'd ditch the pillow. The risk for SIDS isn't over until age one. You'd never forgive yourself if something bad DID happen. Extra bedding can easily suffocate an infant.

Hi H.... I wouldn't give her a pillow for the fact that it could smother her and she won't be able to get it off her face. She doesn't need a pillow at this age. I wouldn't do it until age 2 or so. If she needs to be elevated, put the pillow under the crib mattress, that will help her sleep elevated but without the danger of suffocation.

When our son was sick at this age, the pediatrician recommended putting a pillow or two under head of the matress. If it's the propped-up-ness that your daughter likes, this should do the trick. If it's the soft fluffy stuff near her head she's after, then I'm afraid she'll be out of luck.

You have to do what you think is best for your baby, but IMO the risk outweighs her preference for soft things in the crib.

HTH.
T.

My friends Dr reccommended putting the head of the crib on phone books to elevate it. She had the same problem as you with her twins and was using pillows, blankets, etc...This made it much safer for her babies to sleep and was more easily controlled.

They make special "sleep wedges" for infants that are safe. I know you can buy them at Babies R Us. WE used one for my 3 yr. old from the first week she was born because she had severe acid reflux (it ended up requiring medication). Good-luck!

My cousin's 7 month old son died of SIDS. His favorite blanket was laying over the crib rail. He woke up some time between 2am and 7am. My cousin found him not breathing when she woke up at 7am, and she had checked him at 2am. The blanket had covered his face and he became tangled up in it. Another friend's son died of SIDS and he was over a year old. Sadly, SIDS can happen even when you least expect it.

We used one of the wedges that you could put in between the crib mattress and the sheet. That worked perfectly. My son's body was then at a more natural elevation. The only thing is that the wedge sits basically on only one end of the mattress. As my son turned and moved in his crib, we'd find him towards the end of the mattress without the wedge so he wouldn't be elevated anymore. Too bad the entire wedge didn't cover the bed or that crib mattresses don't already come with some elevation on it.

we use a plug-in vaporizer that releases vapors of menthol, eucalyptus, etc. when our son is sick. it definitely helps him breathe when he has congestion. we tried the elevation thing, and it didn't work for him. only sleeping in his car seat would work as well as the vaporizer. we do that in conjunction with aspirating.

I have a same problem. can you let me know what other advice? My e-mail is ____@____.com

My gut reaction( instinct) went off like a warning bell on this one. I would be really careful about having anything fluffy like a blanket or headrest( firm synthetic pillow ok). precisely because of the danger of SIDS/ suffocation. I recall the recommendation was to sleep on side or back with no fluffy stuff because the baby could asphyxiate. Both my babies ended up belly sleepers once they could roll over on their own. They also both slept in our bed until about a year or so. Personally, I slept better with them right by me, maybe because I could hear as well as feel them even in my sleep and know they were fine and it was also way easier to nurse that way. Go with your instinct, your gut- I believe that is the ancient area that responds to the babies needs. Overthinking it will make you crazy and paranoid. If you know she is safe from SIDS and you both sleep better, I would think those habits would lead to healthier sleep patterns in the end. Bedtime isn't much of an issue for us becuase I always make a big deal about our soft comfy beds and what a pleasure it is to rest your weary head and enjoy a good book. AHHHHH, such a cozy welcome haven for rest. Good luck!

Do NOT let your baby sleep with a pillow - the occurance of SIDS is still VERY high at 6 months. Why take that chance with your child's life? It's just a pillow, and she really doesn't care that much for it, really. She's 6 months old. Giver her a small blankie to cuddle instead, but do not put it beneath her head, just give it to her to hold close.

Put the pillow under the crib matress gives the same type of affect with out haveing the concerns of extra stuff in the crib. We did the same with out littleone when she was congested.

My now 3yr old son has slept with a pillow since he was about 6 months also. We put the pillow under his sheet still on top of his matress. that way it couldn't get over his head but it was still nice and soft for him. I worked for a chiropractor at the time and he had no concerns about his neck/back. SIDS is still a concern untill 1yr, but I have always felt that you need to get all the info that you can and make the best decison for YOUR family. One question, can your daughter roll over both ways by herself? That one something my son's peds dr asked me when I told her. If so the chance of her rolling if her breathing gets obsturced is better. Good luck!

One thing we have done is place a pillow between the mattress and the bottom of the crib. This gives an angle for the babies to sleep at without worrying about their head and neck...plus the cool mist humidifier works great too.

You didn't say how big the pillow was. At this age they like to cuddle so whether its' a pillow or a babyblanket folded in squares, its' comforting to them.

It may be hard but I would take away the pillow. It is better to stay on the safe side. And SIDs is very real. this may seem harsh. But I always had the idea that if god forbid something happened I did everything to prevent it. They make "Dex Products" Safe Lift Crib ____@____.com The Dex Products Safe Lift Crib Wedge greatly improves baby's overall sleeping by raising baby's head to a more comfortable position, both for easier breathing and better digestion. To install the Safe Lift, simply put it under the sheet at the head of the crib to gently elevate baby's head and upper body. The non-skid bottom will keep Safe Lift securely in place. Hope this helps
~M.

Hi, I felt that I had to respond. Yes, its a bad idea! Babies can suffocate with anything in the crib. If you want to have her sleep propped up, put a wedge under the crib so that it is slanted. Good luck to you!

Molly

You know I didn't worry about SIDS with any of my three kids either, but I did follow all the guidelines, including no pillows. Then, just this past Thanksgiving, a dear friend lost her 7 month old to SIDS. Placing the pillow under the mattress would be just as effective and would not raise your baby's risk of suffocating. As much as we all hate to "go there" I think you should think for a brief moment how devastated you would be if something happened to your child as the result of one tiny mistake like putting a pillow in her crib.

Hi,

With a little one that young, rather than put the pillow under your babies head, put something under the mattress to elevate it slightly. My girlfriend had special cribs for her premies that angled the mattress ever so slightly. I don't know if they did this for your baby girl, but when I had both of my kids and they were in the bassinet at the hospital, they usually put them at an angle at that point. So try angling the mattress rather than having the pillow. That way there is no concern for suffocation.

Hope that helps, and good luck.

Take the pillow and put it under the mattress. There are also crib wedges you can buy for $10-15 dollars that do the trick.

Don't risk suffocation. My first son died after he was born, while in the hospital, not from SIDS. You don't want to be a bereaved mother.

Hi H.,
I don't think it's a good idea for a child this small to have a pillow (inside) the crib. When my kids were little and had a cold instead of putting anything in the crib we used to put it under the crib mattress or springs to slightly lift the angle for better breathing. Some cribs will also let you adjust the spring height (for when they are real lil to when they grow big enough to climb out) so if you just adjust one side to a higher peg, it should give you a slight angle for better breathing. Also a humidifier/vaporizer in the room should help too!
I was ALWAYS told to NEVER,EVER, put any thing like a pillow or stuffed toy in the crib with kids this young of age. One of my kids had colic and we noticed that a pillow under the tummy seemed to help alot but then we were told not to put anything in with them we didn't know what to do. When I put him down at night I would put the pillow (a travel size) under his tummy until he feel asleep, and then I would remove it (very very carefully)...I don't know if this helped at all but I hope so. Try lifting the mattress it should help the next time the kids are sick.....Good Luck