Re: plagio/brachycephaly caused by crib mattress that are too firm?

[Guest guest]

What mattress would *not* be too firm? They're all flat. I think

this reduces to the no pillow/SIDS problem, unless memory foam is

somehow allowed. I wish we had been prescribed a head cup (which is

like a foam mattress topper, as I understand it) or ring pillow,

since the pediatrician's perception of the problem was immediate

after Clara's birth.

But I wouldn't stress too much about contributing to the problem by

consumer choices.

Thad Launderville

Montpelier, VT

Clara, age 2, STARband '10

On Jun 10, 2010, at 9:00 PM, helen.wang11 wrote:

> I had this thought last night, just want to bring it up here and

> see if anyone has the similar feeling. The crib mattress that we

> use is a safety 1st foam mattress we bought from Walmart. When I

> was preparing baby's stuff before my son's birth, I was told to get

> firmest mattress out there. so that's what we did. but just now I

> realize that this mattress is much firmer than the one I sleeps on!

> and when I press it with my fist, I can only create a little

> deformation in there. I'm suspecting that would have contributed to

> my son's plagio since too much pressure was on his skull when he

> sleeps.

>

> So moms of plagio babies please tell me, how firm are your crib

> mattresses?

[Guest guest]

Hay Thad,

I guess a ring pillow would be more of a hazard than a softer mattress? if you

are willing to use a ring pillow why don't we simply put baby to sleep on

softer(yes I mean softer, such as memory foam mattress or at least memory foam

topper on regular mattress) beds from day one, until they can turn over when

firmer bedding may be preferred due to safety concern. Since babies grow so fast

in the first 3 months of their life, and usually a significant amount of

flatterning happens within this period of time, I guess this might help reduce

the incidence of plagio/brachy?

>

> > I had this thought last night, just want to bring it up here and

> > see if anyone has the similar feeling. The crib mattress that we

> > use is a safety 1st foam mattress we bought from Walmart. When I

> > was preparing baby's stuff before my son's birth, I was told to get

> > firmest mattress out there. so that's what we did. but just now I

> > realize that this mattress is much firmer than the one I sleeps on!

> > and when I press it with my fist, I can only create a little

> > deformation in there. I'm suspecting that would have contributed to

> > my son's plagio since too much pressure was on his skull when he

> > sleeps.

> >

> > So moms of plagio babies please tell me, how firm are your crib

> > mattresses?

>

[Guest guest]

It's an interesting idea. I don't have a lot of experience with

memory foam, but if the old adverts are to be believed, it supposedly

conforms to the existing body shape and distributes pressure more

evenly along the circumference. That *would* tend to make the

internal forces more dominant, and brain growth *is* presumed to be

normative.

With the ring pillows and head cups, on the other hand, you're

attempting to produce normative external forces, like a helmet: more

pressure on the prominent point, less on the flat spot. One

expensive ring pillow seen on here supposedly allows air to flow

freely through it.

While I can't make an authorative guess about the relative risks, I

would feel decidedly uneasy, personally, about the soft sleep

surface. But, after the plagio experience with Clara, I did risk

using a Noggin Nest as a precautionary sleep positioner for her

little brother, contrary to the manufacturers advice, and I presume

academic advice as well.

--

Thad

On Jun 11, 2010, at 12:25 PM, helen.wang11 wrote:

> Hay Thad,

>

> I guess a ring pillow would be more of a hazard than a softer

> mattress? if you are willing to use a ring pillow why don't we

> simply put baby to sleep on softer(yes I mean softer, such as

> memory foam mattress or at least memory foam topper on regular

> mattress) beds from day one, until they can turn over when firmer

> bedding may be preferred due to safety concern. Since babies grow

> so fast in the first 3 months of their life, and usually a

> significant amount of flatterning happens within this period of

> time, I guess this might help reduce the incidence of plagio/brachy?

[Guest guest]

I totally agree. Plus, I am guessing that once the head is flat, the memory foam would not do anything to change the flat areas, although it might keep them from getting flatter.

Personally, I probably would not risk the memory foam until after about 12 to 18 months, depending upon the child. I did consider it after graduated from her band, but she was nearly 2 at that time.

From: Thad Launderville <p38thadl@...>Plagiocephaly Sent: Sat, June 12, 2010 12:19:48 AMSubject: Re: plagio/brachycephaly caused by crib mattress that are too firm?

It's an interesting idea. I don't have a lot of experience with memory foam, but if the old adverts are to be believed, it supposedly conforms to the existing body shape and distributes pressure more evenly along the circumference. That *would* tend to make the internal forces more dominant, and brain growth *is* presumed to be normative.With the ring pillows and head cups, on the other hand, you're attempting to produce normative external forces, like a helmet: more pressure on the prominent point, less on the flat spot. One expensive ring pillow seen on here supposedly allows air to flow freely through it.While I can't make an authorative guess about the relative risks, I would feel decidedly uneasy, personally, about the soft sleep surface. But, after the plagio experience with Clara, I did risk using a Noggin Nest as a precautionary sleep positioner for her little brother,

contrary to the manufacturers advice, and I presume academic advice as well.-- ThadOn Jun 11, 2010, at 12:25 PM, helen.wang11 wrote:> Hay Thad,>> I guess a ring pillow would be more of a hazard than a softer > mattress? if you are willing to use a ring pillow why don't we > simply put baby to sleep on softer(yes I mean softer, such as > memory foam mattress or at least memory foam topper on regular > mattress) beds from day one, until they can turn over when firmer > bedding may be preferred due to safety concern. Since babies grow > so fast in the first 3 months of their life, and usually a > significant amount of flatterning happens within this period of > time, I guess this might help reduce the incidence of plagio/brachy?

[Guest guest]

Hi Helen, it's me again. form NC. My son started off sleeping in a crib for the first week, then Daddy brought home a Pack N Play and that is all he has slept in for the past 3 1/2 months. (he wouldn't sleep in the crib after the PNP), I guess because the PNP is so soft and "slingy". I would think that the hard mattress would hurt the plagio worse, but my son has pretty much only slept in the PNP and he still got plagio, so I don't know.

From: helen.wang11 <helen.wang11@...>Plagiocephaly Sent: Thu, June 10, 2010 9:00:05 PMSubject: plagio/brachycephaly caused by crib mattress that are too firm?

I had this thought last night, just want to bring it up here and see if anyone has the similar feeling. The crib mattress that we use is a safety 1st foam mattress we bought from Walmart. When I was preparing baby's stuff before my son's birth, I was told to get firmest mattress out there. so that's what we did. but just now I realize that this mattress is much firmer than the one I sleeps on! and when I press it with my fist, I can only create a little deformation in there. I'm suspecting that would have contributed to my son's plagio since too much pressure was on his skull when he sleeps. So moms of plagio babies please tell me, how firm are your crib mattresses?