Reasons for Tummy Time?

[taffywelsh]

Hello there
What are the reasons for Tummy Time, apart from strengthening the neck muscles?
I feel like there is some deeper reason, but I don't know what that might be.
Plus, how much are you supposed to do in terms of per day?
Thanks!!
TW

[katelove]

As well as neck strengthening there is also arm and torso strengthening as well as muscle lengthening. It also helps with balance and co-ordination as they learn to push up on their arms and stay there without toppling and balance on one arm and reach for a toy etc. All of these things are part of preparation for rolling and crawling as well as just the physical develpoment of the muscles themselves.

Upright carries will encourage many of these things but, IMO, some tummy time is still important to allow them to practice the weightbearing, balancing etc while in the prone position.

[Kuba'sMama]

I've just recently started putting my dd on her tummy every day (she's 4 months and my kids really hate it before around this age). When she's awake and playful (usually after her morning nap, my older kids are at school and it's our "quality time" ), I put her on a blanket on the floor, put her toys almost within her reach and put her on her belly. She will work on trying to grab them for a couple of minutes. When she starts getting frustrated, I'll help her roll over to her side and play that way, she's pretty mobile about rolling around from that position.

I'm not obsessive over belly time (my kids rarely lie flat on their backs anyway, so they get plently of movement), but I do find that around 5 months or so it does kickstart crawling, so that's why I do it, to let them control their movement that way.

[somegirl99]

The first few times I tried tummy time, DS would try to lift his head, but now (12 weeks) he doesn't bother, just does some commando-style crawling for a few seconds before getting upset and I flip him back over.

[ErinYay]

Tummy time was invented when Back To Sleep went into effect, to make up for the 12+ hours a day babies used to spend on their bellies. Babies who back-sleep often show gross motor, fine motor, social, and even cognitive (due to parental unresponsiveness) delays compared to belly-sleepers. They do catch up by 18 months or so, but it's largely why we don't see as many crawlers at 6 months, walkers at 10 month, etc, whereas 20+ years ago, that was more the norm.

I do feel strongly that getting enough tummy time is very important for back-sleepers. There is some evidence that lack of core strength is something that can stay with a baby for life, and tummy time *does* help make up (though not entirely) for the deficits caused by back sleeping.

[sunnygir1]

Originally Posted by ErinYay

Tummy time was invented when Back To Sleep went into effect, to make up for the 12+ hours a day babies used to spend on their bellies. Babies who back-sleep often show gross motor, fine motor, social, and even cognitive (due to parental unresponsiveness) delays compared to belly-sleepers. They do catch up by 18 months or so, but it's largely why we don't see as many crawlers at 6 months, walkers at 10 month, etc, whereas 20+ years ago, that was more the norm.

I do feel strongly that getting enough tummy time is very important for back-sleepers. There is some evidence that lack of core strength is something that can stay with a baby for life, and tummy time *does* help make up (though not entirely) for the deficits caused by back sleeping.

Really, just from SLEEPING on their backs? I guess intuitively I would put this more on babies being in reclined swings, bouncy seats, bucket car seats, etc. when they aren't sleeping. It seems unlikely that they would build much muscle while actually sleeping?

Off to look up what the norm was for walking and crawling ages...based on my family, I'd say it hasn't changed much.

[hakeber]

Just to throw this out there, both my kids were swaddled and slept on their backs or sides. DS until 8 months DD until 3 or 4 mos. Neither were given official "tummy time", yet both learned to roll from their back to their tummies and both began crawling by 5 months. Both hated being laid down on thier tummies for longer than a minute or two and would soon shriek from frustration or flip themselves over to their backs ASAP. DS was cruising by 10 months and walking by 11. DD is 9 months and is already cruising and shows liklihood of walking around the same time as her brother.

They both have spent lots of time on the floor on play mats or blankets from about 6 weeks onwards, with toys scattered for them to reach or a parent down on thier level playing next to them. If they wanted to be on their backs they went on thier backs and when they wanted to flip they flipped. No biggie.

As long as they are not in buckets and swings all day they should be able to build their core muscles through regular play, IME. Being in a sling and sitting up in a soft carrier also seems to have done wonders for my babies strength and muscle development.

[ErinYay]

Originally Posted by sunnygir1

Really, just from SLEEPING on their backs? I guess intuitively I would put this more on babies being in reclined swings, bouncy seats, bucket car seats, etc. when they aren't sleeping. It seems unlikely that they would build much muscle while actually sleeping?

Apparently, yes, from sleeping on their backs.

DD was a tummy-sleeper from birth, and was constantly picking her shoulders up to turn her head, curl into a ball, was up on her hands, while sleeping.

I think you have a really good point about baby contraptions, though. Wearing babies helps a LOT to build core strength, so I definitely agree with you that, overall, the more a baby is plopped places, and the less a baby is interacted with, the more they need tummy time.

This article seems to agree with that viewpoint, and this NY Times article talks about delays due to back sleeping, but also emphasizes that the delays are, in the long term, not a big deal as babies catch up.

[sunnygir1]

Originally Posted by ErinYay

Apparently, yes, from sleeping on their backs.

DD was a tummy-sleeper from birth, and was constantly picking her shoulders up to turn her head, curl into a ball, was up on her hands, while sleeping.

I think you have a really good point about baby contraptions, though. Wearing babies helps a LOT to build core strength, so I definitely agree with you that, overall, the more a baby is plopped places, and the less a baby is interacted with, the more they need tummy time.

This article seems to agree with that viewpoint, and this NY Times article talks about delays due to back sleeping, but also emphasizes that the delays are, in the long term, not a big deal as babies catch up.

Thanks for the links!

[babygirlie]

google plagiocephaly.

Since the back to sleep campaign many kid's heads are becoming mis-shapen. plagiocephaly is what they call it when your baby develops a flat side to their head. You can physically go in and adjust your child so they sleep evenly on both sides of their heads but sometimes it doesn't help and you will need to get a cranial helmut to correct the head shape. unfortunately many dr's say your child will grow out of it or hair will cover it and then it's too late to do anything about it. you want to have them treated 6m-12m as after 12m it's difficult.

It can also takes months to get the helmut between insurance issues and prescription waits and parents don't get it done in time and don't have the knowledge.. like me. I am now banding at 17 months and that's super late and she just finished her growth spurt so I'm probably screwed but I have to try.

If you click on show images only you will get a better idea. You also see their head sape better after a bath when their head is wet (if they have hair). I was in tears after seeing it one day. She has her dad's fluffy hair and I'm usually to the side when washing and I stood over her one day and it floored me how "off" it was that her ears were misaligned also.

[Hannah32]

Originally Posted by ErinYay

Apparently, yes, from sleeping on their backs.

DD was a tummy-sleeper from birth, and was constantly picking her shoulders up to turn her head, curl into a ball, was up on her hands, while sleeping.

I think you have a really good point about baby contraptions, though. Wearing babies helps a LOT to build core strength, so I definitely agree with you that, overall, the more a baby is plopped places, and the less a baby is interacted with, the more they need tummy time.

This article seems to agree with that viewpoint, and this NY Times article talks about delays due to back sleeping, but also emphasizes that the delays are, in the long term, not a big deal as babies catch up.

Good read from the NYT. Thanks.

Sam was worn a lot from 3 weeks on and I often put him on his tummy. He liked to flip to his back though, from 2 weeks on. It did sort of pay off, because he rolled at just over 3 months. The wearing and the tummy time seem to have given him good core muscles. He holds his head up really well and has converted himself to a belly sleeper. I don't really worry about it because he can roll both ways and lift his head all the way up.

So a good reason to do tummy time, IMO, is to encourage the development of rolling over skills, which *may* lead to better sleep, if your baby has an intense startle reflex when on their backs (mine did).

[Magistra]

Our older son has Asperger's and sensory issues. When I was pregnant with our younger son, we asked the OT about any advice for early intervention since it took several years from when we started seeing problems to getting any help the first time. Her parting piece of advice was to do as much tummy time as we could. We had done a decent amount with our older son (and genetics would suggest a high likelihood of Asperger's anyway), but apparently it really helps with sensory processing early on.