No, elevating your baby’s crib mattress is not recommended according to current safe sleep guidelines. In the past, it was a common practice to prop up babies with pillows or elevate the crib mattress to help with congestion or reflux. However, this can be dangerous and increase the risk of suffocation or positional asphyxia.
Here’s what to do instead:
- For congestion: Use a saline nasal spray and a cool mist humidifier to loosen mucus.
- For reflux: Talk to your pediatrician about medication or other safe sleep strategies.
Safe sleep practices are very important for reducing the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). Here are the American Academy of Pediatrics safe sleep recommendations:
- Always place babies on their backs to sleep.
- Use a firm crib mattress with a fitted sheet only.
- No pillows, blankets, stuffed animals, or other loose items in the crib.
- Keep your baby smoke-free before, during, and after birth.
- Breastfeed if possible.
