Referrals to craniofacial centers for evaluation
of deformational plagiocephaly and brachycephaly are increasing.8 This increase in deformations has been temporally linked to the Back to Sleep program advanced by the American Academy
of Pediatrics in 1992 that advises the avoidance
of the prone sleeping position as a method
of reducing the rates
of sudden infant death syndrome.10,, 12,13 There is a delay in early gross motor milestones in children forced to sleep supine but these delays seem transient and have not been linked as yet to any longer term problems.14 Children who are
encouraged to sleep on their backs and develop abnormal
head shapes as a result are a different population than children who spontaneously restricted their
movement in bed for one reason or another.
Plus the shape
of this round cushion helps to
encourage baby to lift their
head, strengthen their neck, upper arm and chest muscles which in turn helps to develop gross and fine motor skills through using larger muscles and precise
movement.
You can practice such glides standing: Initiating the
movement from the middle
of the rib cage,
encourage your rib cage to move side to side, and then your hips to shift from side to side, without disturbing your shoulders and
head.