Re: Reuters Story on MSNBC...

[Guest guest]

Hmmm. . .I don't really like that they say lack of early tummy time

causes torticollis. She was born with torticollis because of her

breech position and we used tummy time / extensive PT to help

improve the condition as much as possible.

I understand the point of the article is to encourage tummy time

(which is great) but I think it incorrectly implies that

torticollis / plagiocephay is preventable by doing extra tummy time.

All of us with babies with severe torticollis know it's really not

that simple and it's not our fault.

>

> ...a little bit of publicity for the subject...

>

>

> Too little tummy time may delay infants

> Physical therapists warn about babies spending all their time on

backs

> Reuters

> updated 3:53 p.m. CT, Thurs., Aug. 14, 2008

>

> Infants who spend too much time on their backs have an increased

risk

> of developing a misshapen head along with certain developmental

> delays, the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) warns in a

> statement issued this month.

>

> Infants need " tummy time " while they are awake to develop properly,

> the APTA notes.

>

> The 1992 " Back to Sleep " campaign, which educated parents on the

> importance of putting their infants to sleep on their backs, rather

> than their stomachs, led to a dramatic reduction in the number of

> deaths from sudden infant death syndrome

>

> " As a result though, new parents were afraid to put their babies on

> their bellies at all, even when awake, " Colleen Coulter-O'Berry, a

> physical therapist at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta noted in an

> interview with Reuters Health.

>

> " I see new parents all the time that, by 4 months of age, have

never

> put their babies on their bellies because they are afraid the baby

is

> going to suffocate, " she said.

>

> The combination of babies sleeping on their backs, as well as

spending

> long periods of time in infant carriers that double as car seats,

puts

> pressure on the head, which can flatten the skull, she explained.

>

> " As a result, we've seen an alarming increase in skull

deformation, "

> Coulter-O'Berry said.

>

> Babies who do not get enough time on their tummies can also develop

> tight neck muscles or neck muscle imbalance — a condition known as

> torticollis. " If a baby doesn't get early tummy time, they don't

push

> up on their elbows, they don't get their heads up and looking

around,

> and they don't gain strength in their neck and back muscles, " she

> explained.

>

> " Increasing the amount of time your baby lies on his or her tummy

> promotes muscle development in the neck and shoulders; helps

prevent

> tight neck muscles and the development of flat areas on the back of

> the baby's head; and helps build the muscles baby needs to roll,

sit,

> and crawl, " Coulter-O'Berry added.

>

> She said 90 percent of children with torticollis also have changes

in

> their head shape.

>

> Her message to new parents: " Don't be afraid to put your baby on

their

> tummy for short periods of time while they are awake. After a nap,

> diaper change or feeding, roll the baby onto his or her stomach and

> encourage the infant to find, focus, and follow your face or a toy

> with their eyes looking up. "

>

> The football hold, where the baby's belly is facing down in the

palm

> of the hand and the baby is looking up, is another good way to get

> extra tummy time, she said.

>

> Coulter-O'Berry is co-author of " Tummy Time Tools " — a brochure

that

> provides caregivers ideas and activities to ensure that babies get

> enough tummy time. It is available on the APTA web site.

>

> Copyright 2008 Reuters. Click for restrictions.

>

> URL: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26205535/

> MSN Privacy . Legal

> © 2008 MSNBC.com

>

[Guest guest]

I totally agree. My son was 10lb 5oz at birth...he was living in

cramped quarters to say the least. I think the article confused too

many issues into one.

> >

> > ...a little bit of publicity for the subject...

> >

> >

> > Too little tummy time may delay infants

> > Physical therapists warn about babies spending all their time on

> backs

> > Reuters

> > updated 3:53 p.m. CT, Thurs., Aug. 14, 2008

> >

> > Infants who spend too much time on their backs have an increased

> risk

> > of developing a misshapen head along with certain developmental

> > delays, the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) warns in a

> > statement issued this month.

> >

> > Infants need " tummy time " while they are awake to develop properly,

> > the APTA notes.

> >

> > The 1992 " Back to Sleep " campaign, which educated parents on the

> > importance of putting their infants to sleep on their backs, rather

> > than their stomachs, led to a dramatic reduction in the number of

> > deaths from sudden infant death syndrome

> >

> > " As a result though, new parents were afraid to put their babies on

> > their bellies at all, even when awake, " Colleen Coulter-O'Berry, a

> > physical therapist at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta noted in an

> > interview with Reuters Health.

> >

> > " I see new parents all the time that, by 4 months of age, have

> never

> > put their babies on their bellies because they are afraid the baby

> is

> > going to suffocate, " she said.

> >

> > The combination of babies sleeping on their backs, as well as

> spending

> > long periods of time in infant carriers that double as car seats,

> puts

> > pressure on the head, which can flatten the skull, she explained.

> >

> > " As a result, we've seen an alarming increase in skull

> deformation, "

> > Coulter-O'Berry said.

> >

> > Babies who do not get enough time on their tummies can also develop

> > tight neck muscles or neck muscle imbalance � a condition known as

> > torticollis. " If a baby doesn't get early tummy time, they don't

> push

> > up on their elbows, they don't get their heads up and looking

> around,

> > and they don't gain strength in their neck and back muscles, " she

> > explained.

> >

> > " Increasing the amount of time your baby lies on his or her tummy

> > promotes muscle development in the neck and shoulders; helps

> prevent

> > tight neck muscles and the development of flat areas on the back of

> > the baby's head; and helps build the muscles baby needs to roll,

> sit,

> > and crawl, " Coulter-O'Berry added.

> >

> > She said 90 percent of children with torticollis also have changes

> in

> > their head shape.

> >

> > Her message to new parents: " Don't be afraid to put your baby on

> their

> > tummy for short periods of time while they are awake. After a nap,

> > diaper change or feeding, roll the baby onto his or her stomach and

> > encourage the infant to find, focus, and follow your face or a toy

> > with their eyes looking up. "

> >

> > The football hold, where the baby's belly is facing down in the

> palm

> > of the hand and the baby is looking up, is another good way to get

> > extra tummy time, she said.

> >

> > Coulter-O'Berry is co-author of " Tummy Time Tools " � a brochure

> that

> > provides caregivers ideas and activities to ensure that babies get

> > enough tummy time. It is available on the APTA web site.

> >

> > Copyright 2008 Reuters. Click for restrictions.

> >

> > URL: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26205535/

> > MSN Privacy . Legal

> > � 2008 MSNBC.com

> >

>