DAN WUORI: [Tummy Time] helps to decrease the incidence of flat spots on the back of your baby’s head.

Tummy time has many benefits.

It strengthens the back, neck and arm muscles that help with holding up the head, rolling over, sitting and crawling. It helps to decrease the incidence of flat spots on the back of your baby’s head.

And it can help relieve gas and constipation, just to name a few. --Dan Wuori

time matters, now more than ever.

Why now?

In the early 1990s pediatric health authorities began recommending that babies sleep exclusively on their backs as part of an aligned effort to reduce the incidence of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.

The campaign has been a big… pic.twitter.com/CnWPq2KLQG

— Dan Wuori (@DanWuori) June 1, 2024

Tummy time matters, now more than ever.

Why now? In the early 1990s pediatric health authorities began recommending that babies sleep exclusively on their backs as part of an aligned effort to reduce the incidence of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. The campaign has been a big success, cutting the SIDS rate by more than half, but has also limited the amount of time most modern infants spend on their stomachs - making wakeful, supervised tummy time all the more important. Tummy time has many benefits. It strengthens the back, neck and arm muscles that help with holding up the head, rolling over, sitting and crawling. It helps to decrease the incidence of flat spots on the back of your baby’s head. And it can help relieve gas and constipation, just to name a few. You can begin short, supervised periods of tummy time as soon as your child is born. These earliest sessions often begin on mom’s chest - but can be done on other safe surfaces as well. Begin with 2-3 minutes at a time and work your way up. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends increasing the frequency and duration of these sessions to the point your baby spends a total of 20-30 minutes a day by the time your baby is 7 weeks old. Be forewarned that, especially early on, tummy time is a workout (and therefore not always well liked by some children) - but with time and experience will help to develop the muscle strength your newborn lacks. This little guy (shared to IG by xmarieannabelle) has got tummy time down pat. Check out his strong neck muscles and head control and that roll at the end.