When it comes to sleep, pillows are closely related to the quality of sleep. When people sleep, they put on a pillow to keep the cervical spine physiologically curved, give neck back support, and let the neck and muscles relax in order to enter a good sleep state.
But be aware that there is one type of person who uses pillows and is dangerous – that is, babies within the age of one year. At this time, the baby has not yet formed anterior neck curve, lying flat and lying on the side of the shoulder back and head can almost be on the same level, will not cause muscle tension and affect sleep problems, so there is no need to use a pillow. The use of pillows can actually hurt the cervical spine, affect the baby's breathing and swallowing, and may cause suffocation in severe cases.
Changes in the human spine
01- When can my baby use the pillow?
There are many opinions on the Internet about the time of the baby's pillow, there is no unified statement, some say that it is used after 3 months, some say that it is used after 1 year old, and some are used after the age of 2. Reading more information inevitably makes people fall into confusion: when is it scientific to give a baby a pillow?
In fact, the development of each baby is not exactly the same, and it is not completely scientific to decide whether to need a pillow according to 3 months, 1 year old or 2 years old. Here Xiaoyuan recommends that parents can decide according to the actual needs of the baby:
When the baby can sit on his own, turn over freely, sleep when there is a signal that he likes to put his head on the quilt, likes to pad the adult's arm or pillow, etc., you can consider using a pillow for the baby, then their cervical spine already has a certain support, so that it will be relatively easy for them to accept the pillow.
But if the baby sleeps often 360 ° a night or resists using a pillow, it doesn't matter if you don't use it, and parents don't have to feel anxious about the child's dislike of using the pillow, because the child's spine naturally bends at the age of 6-7 years old and is fixed by the ligament.
02- How to choose a pillow for your baby?
The pillow for your baby needs to meet the following 4 points:
1. Easy to wash
The baby's swallowing saliva function is not yet perfect, so the saliva will flow out, wetting the pillow, and it is easy to breed bacteria for a long time. Therefore, infants and young children's pillows must choose the type that can be washed with water, so that sweat stains, saliva, milk stains, etc. can be cleaned.
2. Health and safety
Whether it's a pillowcase or a padding, safety is the first priority. Especially the pillowcase, because the pillowcase is in direct contact with the baby, the material is safe so that it will not cause allergies.
3. Absorb moisture and breathe
In infancy and toddler, the baby's sweat secretion is strong, so the pillowcase and filler must have good moisture absorption and breathability. At the same time, the baby's sleeping position is changeable, and sometimes there will be a situation of lying on the stomach. If the material is not breathable, there may be difficulty breathing in the mouth and nose, causing the baby to suffocate.
4. Moderate softness and hardness
The baby's skull is soft, and the pillow is too hard to cause the head to be flat or the size of the face, which affects the appearance and beauty, and it is easy to cause the baby to fall into the pillow. The pillow is too soft, and the baby's head is sunken, which may cause suffocation.
5. The height is suitable
Generally speaking, 1-2-year-old babies are recommended to pillow about 3cm, 2-5 years old is recommended to pillow about 4cm, 5-9 years old is recommended to pillow about 6cm, 9-12 years old is recommended to pillow about 7cm. It depends on the change in the curvature of the baby's cervical spine.
Combining the above requirements, Xiaoyuan provides you with some simple suggestions on the material of filling and quilt cover:
Pillow fabric choice of pure cotton, less pattern. Pure cotton is naturally skin-friendly, has good moisture absorption performance, and less pattern can prevent allergy problems caused by printing and dyeing coatings.
Pillow core filling material can choose latex, cotton, memory cotton, high-quality chemical fiber, etc., these materials are soft and hard, moisture absorption and breathability is good, especially latex materials, should not breed bacteria and mites.
Millet, buckwheat, mung beans and feather pillows are not recommended. Particle-filled pillows such as millet buckwheat are prone to breeding bacteria after moisture and are inconvenient to clean, while feather pillows are too soft and have a risk of suffocation.
Functional pillows such as styling pillows are also not recommended. Because the shaped pillow is too high on both sides, when the baby sleeps on the side of the head, the mouth and nose may be blocked by the sides of the pillow, resulting in the baby suffocation.