It might be hard to imagine a pillow being dangerous to anyone, unless you’ve watched too many murder mysteries. But, removing the suffocation factor, pillows are pretty much the epitome of softness and safety. Imagining a killer-pillow would be akin to imagining a cloud with a vendetta, more than a bit unlikely and comically ridiculous. What you might not realise though is that, early in life, pillows are dangerous and for the first few years kids should do without!
Babies have almost no neck strength when they’re first born. For a long while after birth they’re incapable of picking up their own heads which is why it’s so important to cradle their heads when you pick them up. The issue with a pillow in a cot is that your child could roll face down and smother themselves on the pillow as they wouldn’t have the strength to life their head away from the pillow. I can think of nothing worse than coming into your child’s room in the morning and finding that. Babies are also very susceptible to allergens like down, feathers or dust mites. Pillows can hold all three and confer severe allergic reactions onto your child!
Experts disagree on when it’s best to introduce a pillow into your child’s sleeping habits. Some argue it’s safe after just one year and others err on the side of caution and suggest waiting for two. It’s recommended that you consult your family doctor and see what they thing as this isn’t an area in which you want to be uninformed or incorrect!
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