An inappropriate pillow for your baby will affect more than just your baby’s sleep! These tips for choosing pillows are worth collecting

I asked my friend Y on WeChat to take the kids out to play together. Y responded with three crying emoticons and nothing more happened. I called and said that I was taking my child on the way to Beijing 301 Hospital to buy a cervical spine protective gear for my daughter. Hearing her describe the child\’s condition, I was a little scared. The child cried when he got up in the morning. He said he couldn\’t move and his neck hurt. He drank milk powder intermittently before finishing it. Every time he moved, he cried terribly. He begged, \”Mom, take me to the hospital.\” Last month. A similar situation also happened. I took my child to the pediatric department of a general hospital near my home. The pediatrician said that he couldn\’t see the problem with the neck bones, so he asked me to go to the orthopedics department. When I went to the orthopedics department, the doctor said that he couldn\’t treat such a small child. I checked various information on the Internet and found that children can also suffer from stiff neck, so I went home for observation and care. Fortunately, the symptoms relieved the next day and the child could move his neck. But a month later, the child had the same problem again, and this time Y went to the Orthopedic Emergency Department of the Children\’s Research Institute. After the orthopedic doctor did a routine examination, he said that it was related to sleeping position and pillow. Although he did not ask for a radiograph, considering that a similar situation had happened before, the doctor asked Y to buy a set of special neck protectors for children. He was worried about the next time Recidivism will result in dislocation. As for the protective gear that the Pediatric Research Institute does not sell, you have to go to the 301 Hospital to buy it. In the evening, Y asked me on WeChat what kind of pillows my classmate Zhe uses and how to choose pillows for my children. Classmate Zhe is a windy man during the day. As a result of his high activity level, he sleeps soundly at night. Therefore, for the comfort of sleeping, I tried many pillows for him. For Mr. Zhe, pillows are still a bedtime ritual. Every night when the parent-child family is ready to go to bed after reading, he must spread the pillows neatly by himself, then lie down solemnly and cover himself with the quilt. Regarding when children should use pillows and how to choose pillows, I would like to share my experience based on the pillows I have used for my classmate Zhe in the past few years. It was originally a Manchu custom to sleep flat on the head. Classmate Zhe was born in midsummer. After being discharged from the hospital for a week, I was worried that his head would be too hot next to the mattress, so I put several layers of thin cotton gauze under his head. My mother-in-law had also suggested that Mr. Zhe should sleep with a flat head, and planned to get a mung bean pillow for him, which would be firmer and help his head sleep flat. She also said that Mr. Zhe’s father had used books on his pillow when he was a child. Because I had read a lot of parenting knowledge during my pregnancy, I politely rejected the idea of ​​\”sleeping with a flat head\”. I have always been curious, what is the reason why generations of people have followed the custom of \”sleeping with their heads flat\” for so long? Is it really because sleeping with a flat head looks better? Due to my inquisitive personality, I always wanted to find out the details, so I checked the information on this matter on my mobile phone while still in confinement. I remember that I had found out at the time that the custom of \”sleeping flat-headed\” originated from the living habits of the Manchu people – first of all, most of the pillows used by the Manchu people were filled with millet, sorghum, mung beans, soybeans, etc., and there were \”head pillow granaries\” meaning. These foods are very hard, and the newborn\’s skull is soft. If the head is placed on a hard object for a long time, the unclosed chimney and skull line will be deformed, and the entire back of the skull will be flat. At the same time, the Manchus have the custom of lying on a sleeping board, letting the baby lie on a sleeping board made of pine wood, and binding the child\’s arms, knees, and ankles with straps, thinking that this can make the back flat and wide, and the legs The arms are long and the legs are straight. They are used to draw bows and shoot arrows.Good shape. Staying in a flat sleeping position for a long time is also an important reason for the formation of flat head. And the most important point is that sleeping with a flat head will bring changes to the face, making the forehead fuller and more protruding, achieving the favorite face of the ancients – full vestibule. As the saying goes, \”The heaven is full and the earth is round.\” People at that time felt that such a face was the most official and blessed. These statements are based on my extensive review of information, and there are theories to test. If you have more professional research results, please leave a message to discuss. When does a baby start needing a pillow? Before talking about pillows, you must first understand the development process of your child\’s spine. Our adult spine has a double S structure, and these curves help us stay flexible and balanced. A child\’s spine is straight when he is born. As the spine bears gravity, it begins to undergo physiological curvature. Let me first show you a picture about the physiological curve development of a child’s spine. (Pay attention to the red line in the picture) When a newborn lies flat, his head and spine are in a straight line, so there is no need for a pillow. If the baby\’s head is artificially raised, it will cause the head and neck to bend, affecting breathing and swallowing. The thin cotton gauze I used to pad classmate Zhe\’s head was about the same thickness as the same layer of medical gauze. It was mainly to keep the head dry, and the thickness was almost negligible. A newborn baby\’s head is shoulder-width apart, so sleeping on your side won\’t put pressure on your neck. Mr. Zhe has never deliberately slept with his head shaped, nor has he used a so-called shaped pillow. When feeding, he mostly lies on his side. After falling asleep, in order to prevent milk leakage, he will sleep on his side for a while and then lie flat, so he lies on his side and flat on his back. It seems to be alternating more frequently. At three or four months, the child\’s neck muscles develop and have enough strength to support the head – that is, what we often say can raise the head. At this time, in order to cope with the gravity of the head, the spine curve of the neck begins to slowly undergo physiological changes. bending. From 6 months to one year old, the chest and waist muscles continue to grow and develop, and gradually have the strength to support the thoracic and lumbar spine. The child learns to sit, crawl, and stand, and the curve of the spine also develops. After half a year old, the growth rate of the head slows down, and the shoulders will be slightly wider than the head. If you sleep on your side, you need pillow support. But experts disagree on exactly what age you should start using pillows. Studies have shown that after the child is 1 year old, the chance of suffocation in sleep is greatly reduced, and it is safer to use pillows at this time. Each child\’s development is different. I think those strict opinions on how high a pillow should be at what age are biased. When to start using pillows should be judged based on some signals released by the child\’s growth and development – 1. The shoulders are wider than the head 2. The quality of sleep is reduced 3. Like to put blankets or stuffed toys under the head 4. Have a strong interest in the pillows used by adults and like to lie on them. When the child has the above behavior, you should prepare a pillow for the child. How should I choose a pillow for my baby? Judging from my experience in choosing so many pillows, the following aspects are what mothers should pay attention to when choosing pillows for their babies. When choosing a pillow, whether it is the surface or the inner core, safety must come first. The surface layer is in direct contact with the baby\’s facial skin, and the material is safe so it will not cause baby\’s skin sensitivity. My mother-in-law made a pillowcase for classmate Zhe before, with a cartoon pattern, although it was made of pure cotton.However, after being dyed with pigments, little red spots appeared on student Zhe’s face after using it for one night. Later, I paid special attention to the material of the pillowcases. The one I like the most is organic cotton. After all, it has not gone through processes such as bleaching, printing and dyeing, and is relatively safe. Breathability Mothers have all had this experience – sleeping in the middle of the night, suddenly feeling uneasy, waking up subconsciously, carefully checking the baby\’s sleeping position, worried that the baby would turn over and press his nose and mouth, causing suffocation. When classmate Zhe was a child, I often did the same thing. As if suffering from paranoia, there is always a tense nerve, worried that something will happen to him. Therefore, I am very concerned about the overall breathability of the pillow. Regarding safety, every time I buy a pillow, I will try it by lying on it to see if it hinders my breathing. Maintenance: I have used buckwheat pillows and pillows containing cassia seeds for my classmate Zhe. These pillows have better air permeability, but they are really troublesome to maintain. Because children sweat easily, large areas of pillows are often wet with sweat. When sleeping on their sides, their faces are squeezed and saliva flows out. Pillow cores that are soaked with sweat and saliva can easily breed mold. The pillow cores have to be replaced every month or two. They need to be disassembled, washed, dried, and sewn. Every time, I have to trouble my grandma to do it for them. Therefore, I also pay special attention to the maintainability of pillows. At least they should be easy to remove and wash to ensure hygiene. When classmate Zhe sweats a lot at night, he is similar to a friend’s baby. I couldn’t find a photo of classmate Zhe, so I posted a photo of my friend’s baby. In this case, the requirements for the pillowcase material and inner core are relatively high. Classmate Zhe dislikes pillow covers, so the surface of the pillow must be soft and comfortable, but also have good hygroscopicity. Comfort comes first from the softness and hardness of the pillow. If it is too hard, the flat head phenomenon mentioned above will occur, and the friction will increase. When the child turns his head, it will directly cause occipital baldness. If it is too soft, it will not support the neck. Therefore, baby pillows should avoid using hard grain and soft down as the inner core. What kind of pillow is moderately soft and hard? This can be judged by the resilience of the pillow. After pressing the pillow with your hand, if it rebounds quickly, it is too soft; if it rebounds slowly, it is too hard. The second is the height. When choosing a pillow, the height must be appropriate. The key word is \”same horizontal line\”. After the baby is asleep, observe the baby\’s sleeping posture. Whether lying flat or on the side, the head and shoulders, head and back should be at the same level. This is the most comfortable state for the baby to sleep. This can also be used as a criterion for judging whether to use a pillow for the baby. If the baby is not on the same level, it is time to buy a pillow. Do you still need a pillow when your bed is spinning around after you fall asleep? Please click here to enter a description of the image. A friend said that after children fall asleep, they usually move around the bed and their heads rarely touch the pillow. Then why do you need a pillow? Pillow is a symbol of sleep. After my classmate Zhe is asleep and his body is turning, I will not deliberately move him to the pillow. But for him, pillows are a routine just like washing up, changing pajamas, and reading with children. The process of arranging pillows is a kind of ritual before going to bed. When classmate Zhe was in a sensitive period for order, he would even shout to turn on the lights without the pillow arrangement part, so he had to arrange his own pillows himself to feel at ease.Use a pillow to prop up his head during night feeding. When my classmate Zhe was about one year old, he would wake up at night to feed, and he would usually lie on his side. No matter how confused he was, I would put a pillow under his head to worry about overflowing milk and choking. Ensure smoother swallowing. Meet the growth needs of children. Children’s growth characteristics are different at each stage. It is important to help children adjust the size and thickness of pillows in a timely manner. Classmate Zhe has changed his pillows many times, from thin ones to thick ones, from small ones to larger ones. The pillow records the child\’s growth process and meets the child\’s growth needs. As long as the baby sleeps healthily, the mother will feel particularly at ease.