Knowing When Your Child Is Ready for a Baby Pillow

Picking the right baby pillow for your child is important. Your child may sleep much more comfortably with a pillow. But just as babies are not like adults, baby pillows are not like adult pillows. How can you know you have selected the right kind of pillow for your child?

First, is your child old enough to use a baby pillow? Pillows should never be put in the crib with babies under the age of two. A babys neck muscles are weak, and cannot always prevent the baby from suffocating if she rolls over onto her stomach. Even when a baby has an ear infection or a congested nose and sleeps better with a pillow under his or her head, giving the child a pillow is risky. If a baby under the age of two needs his or her head elevated, put the pillow under the mattress, not in the crib, so that the mattress is elevated. The mattress is firmer than a pillow, which reduces the chance of suffocation and is safer for small babies.

Second, does your child need a baby pillow? Small children often do fine without pillows because their bodies are proportioned differently from adults bodies. The best sign that your child is ready for a baby pillow is when he or she starts sleeping with his or her head on a stuffed toy or balled up bedding.

Third, what size is best for a baby pillow? When you choose a pillow for your child, pick one that is small and flat, about the size and shape of an airline pillow. A too high pillow will cause your child to wake with a sore neck, but a small pillow will stop this from happening.

Fourth, what is the best filling for a baby pillow? You may love the soft, fluffy comfort or down or feather pillows, but children are not ready for them. They are too soft for small children, and their filling can give children allergies to down or feathers. A firm, hypoallergenic filling is the best stuffing for your babys pillow.

If you have followed these simple guidelines, you are sure to choose the right baby pillow for your child. Make sure your child is old enough to use a baby pillow safely and ready to sleep with a pillow, then pick a small pillow filled with firm, hypoallergenic stuffing. After that, do the most important step of all, and ask your baby what he or she thinks of the new pillow. Your child is the best judge of whether you have picked the right pillow. With these guidelines, you are sure to find a pillow they love.