Get Container Babies Off Their Backs! -- Research Summary

WHAT IS IT? Doctors and physical therapists around the country have coined a new term for babies who spend too much time in devices like carriers, swings and bouncy seats. They are calling it "container syndrome." According to an article published in the Chicago Tribune, these containers are causing an increase in cases of misshapen skulls, contorted neck muscles and delayed motor skills, like crawling and walking. A recent study conducted by the Pathways Awareness Foundation, a non-profit group that promotes early detection of movement delays, found two-thirds of physical and occupational therapists say they've seen an increase in movement delays in the past six years. The group surveyed 400 therapists.

WHY DOES IT HAPPEN? Keeping babies strapped down in these "containers" prevents them from using all the muscles they need to grow normally. "Any of these devices that are developed to provide basically convenience for the parents, such as seats for feeding and some of the other play saucers and things like that, and play mobiles and things where the child basically is entertained by lying on their back and looking up also puts considerable amount of pressure on the back of the head and then causes a flattening there," Carl Barr, D.O., a child neurologist in Orlando, Fla., explained to Ivanhoe. He added, "If you're not put in a position where you have to maintain your head because it's resting on some other device, then you don't develop the strength in those muscles."

BACK-SLEEPING A FACTOR: Some researchers believe back-sleeping has also contributed to delayed motor skills and flattened skulls. Since the "Back to Sleep" campaign was introduced in 1994, the incidence of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) has dropped by more than 50-percent; however, some say the change in sleeping habits came with a downside. Babies today are more likely to develop a flattened skull, which may throw off neck development. A 2006 Canadian study published in the Journal of Pediatrics found 22 percent of babies who slept on their backs had some delays in motor skills such as sitting up, rolling over and climbing stairs.  

WHAT CAN YOU DO? Because of the markedly reduced risk of SIDS, doctor recommend parents continue to put babies on their backs to sleep; however, they encourage "tummy time" during awake periods. Most doctors and physical therapists recommend as much tummy time as a baby will tolerate. Some suggest about 10 seconds for newborns, one hour a day for three-month-olds and two hours a day for six-month-olds. Many therapists also recommend that parents should limit the amount of time their babies spend in the "containers." For example, reserving car carriers for use only in the car can be helpful.