- Tummy time
Tummy time is a
colloquial term for time used to encourageparents to ensure theirbabies spend time on theirstomach s. Babies need to spend time on their stomachs. This helps to strengthen theirposterior neck muscles and helps babies reachmilestones likecrawling fasterTummy Timehttp://www.nichd.nih.gov/health/topics/tummy_time.cfmRetrieved 04-04-2008] . Though babies who do not spend time on their stomachs eventually catch up physically,physical therapists say the first few months of life are an important time for babies to start to become aware of their bodies and begin to learn movement and balance.With the advent of the advice not to place babies on their stomachs when putting them to sleep (in order to lessen the incidence of
sudden infant death syndrome ), experts have found that babies are spending less time on their stomachs. Parents are now being encouraged to ensure their babies receive tummy time while they are awake in order to counter this.References
*Deformational brachycephaly in supine-sleeping infants Graham JM Jr - J Pediatr - 01-FEB-2005; 146(2): 253-7
*Asymmetric heads and failure to climb stairs Kemp JS - J Pediatr - 01-NOV-2006; 149(5): 594-5
*cite news|first=Jane | last=Elliott | publisher=BBC News | title="Babies need 'tummy time' to develop" | url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/5128144.stm | date=2006-07-01 | accessdate=2007-06-21.
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