Positional asphyxiation

lnds32

I have recently seen so many articles about babies dying in car seats due to lack of oxygenation. It's quite terrifying. While I don't let my baby sleep in his car seat unless we are in the car, he does sleep in a rock and play next to our bed. This morning I did notice he was scrunched up and was crying quietly. I moved him and it really is making me reconsider letting him sleep there. He is 7 weeks old. Do you girls have any thoughts about babies sleeping in rock and play? Is it too early to transition him to his crib where it is much safer? Just looking for advice! Thanks!

Also, if you do let your baby sleep in a car seat please do some research. I really had no idea how dangerous it was.

keri168

Looking forward to seeing feedback on this! I have been wondering about the exact same after reading that car seat story. I had to bring my baby to my doctor appointment yesterday and let him sleep in his car seat during it for about an hour. What else would I do with him while there is my question too?! I also noticed my little one (almost 5 weeks) seemed slumped in the rock n play this morning when we woke up so now I am worried too. Thanks for posting!

jessica52011

I have been worrying about this lately, too! For that reason (and because I'm worried my 8-week-old's legs are getting too strong for the rock n play), I've been transitioning her to her crib for the past few weeks. We started with naps during the day in her crib around 6 weeks and have been working up to overnights - she's now sleeping in 4-5 hr stretches in her crib at night. I still let her nap in the RNP since she goes down much easier in it, but then I can keep an eye on her to make sure she doesn't get too scrunched up. If you're worried, I'd say start your LO in naps in the crib and work your way up - it's not too early! Also, I've found a heating pad placed on the crib mattress to heat it up a bit before she lies down works wonders. Good luck!!

dmbfan46835

Mine has been in his crib since week two so I'm not sure about the transition. But before we registered for stuff, I read about the RnP and a lot of reviews said it was hard to transition babies once they sleep in the RnP for a long time. They get used to the incline and the closeness of it and many people spend weeks trying to get their LOs into their cribs. So I say the sooner the better if you are thinking of not using the RnP any longer.

We let LO nap in the newborn napper part of our PnP and due to the weight limit (12 lbs) and the incline, I decided it was time to nap on the flat bassinet part until 15 lbs when that can no longer be used. Anything with an incline freaks me out now after reading everything out there and on here.

monicaP

Because my LO has reflux sleeping on an angle is good for her. My doctor said sleeping in the Rock and play or swing is ok because she is a bigger baby. I think smaller babies become more scrunched in these devices.

jlemons-2

I was going to have my LO sleep in her rock n play but after researching it, it wasn't worth the risk to me. She sleeps in a pack n play in my room. OP, if you don't want to transition to crib yet, can't you use a pack n play in your room?

architori

What I took away from the article I read was that if your child is going to be in the car seat for any length of time, they should be properly buckled in. This prevents them from slouching down. There will be instances where they will sleep in the car seat (long car trips, waiting at the Dr) so they should always be buckled in.

jwebbbber45678

I've never heard of asphyxiation occurring in a rock and play. Has this happened before? The only negative thing I've read in reviews is they can cause soft spots on the head and could create the need for corrective helmets. My baby takes short naps during the day in the rock n play, I'm not too worried about it unless there have been actual fatalities recorded. As for the car seat, why can a child stay in one for hours in a car or stroller then die so quickly once it's out? Is it the change of angle when it's on the floor or the loose straps? When I'm driving in constantly paranoid about his head lolling forward in his sleep obstructing his airways. I don't let him stay in the car seat once it's out of the car or stroller.

cait040415

jweber4747 said:

I've never heard of asphyxiation occurring in a rock and play. Has this happened before? The only negative thing I've read in reviews is they can cause soft spots on the head and could create the need for corrective helmets. My baby takes short naps during the day in the rock n play, I'm not too worried about it unless there have been actual fatalities recorded. As for the car seat, why can a child stay in one for hours in a car or stroller then die so quickly once it's out? Is it the change of angle when it's on the floor or the loose straps? When I'm driving in constantly paranoid about his head lolling forward in his sleep obstructing his airways. I don't let him stay in the car seat once it's out of the car or stroller.

I wondered this too!!! It's because the base in which the car seat buckles into or the way the car seat sits if it is strapped is at the perfect incline to avoid positional asphyxiation. Like with ours, there is a little level bubble that shows us of it is sitting at the appropriate incline or not. I still check on DD every twenty minutes or so of we are in the car for a long time.. We haven't gone too far yet or without DH or someone else in the car so I can do that still!

jen83mn

I would try to transition him to a flat surface, either a crib or a pack n play, if you want to keep baby in your room. It'll be harder to transition him the older he gets and the more used to sleeping on an incline he is. He may be resistant at first because the RNP is a lot cozier than a crib or pack n play, so I'd recommend trying a sleep sack to help baby feel more cozy (we use an arms-out one because ours likes his arms free). We use the RNP sometimes during the day for naps, but only when he's supervised.

LouLouLove

Rock n Plays are not generally recommended for night time sleeping. However, my DS1 had reflux and our pedi said he could sleep in it but did recommend we put a rolled up receiving blanket under his back which pushed back his head so he wasn't scrunched down and kept his airways open. This LO also has reflux, but this time I decided to put the crib next to our bed and start him in there from the beginning. We just elevated the crib mattress to help with his reflux.

chelseajeanene

I was nervous my little guy wouldn't like the crib but he's been sleeping in it since day 1 so I don't think it's too early for you to try and translation. I worry so much about the car seat and I hate that this can even happen to them. Car seats are supposed to be safe and protect them, what if you have to go on a super long road trip? What are you supposed to do?

caityrose

I hate how scrunched they get in all these "baby seats". Rnp, swing etc. my lo sleeps in the rnp because she'd wake instantly and flail around in the cradle. Also she was constantly on her side on a flat surface and I was nervous about her rolling all the way over to her stomach. That being said when she sleeps in the rnp she turns her head to the side and straightens her neck out so I don't worry about that too much but I do worry about her hips and back of her head. I'm ready to transition her to the cradle which is all I have for now instead of a crib but she has a stuffy nose and it seemed to get worse while she was flat so for now it's short naps and "mobile play time" until she's cleared up and we can transition back to it. Only supervised naps in the swing. I'm hoping when she's bigger she won't get so scrunched??

jizzypuff

I'm curious why you have to transition to a crib? The first day we came home I had her in the crib. Is this not normal practice?

mel0601

I had my daughter in a baby swing and when the home nurse came to visit at 7 days PP she walked in the door, dropped everything, ran over to my daughter and scooped her up. She told me that although to me she looked fine, she was in the perfect position for decreased oxygen flow!! I haven't put her in it since!

jennsuzanne87

What I gathered from the articles is that is has to do with the angle. When you have the carseat not "clicked" into it's base or it's travel stroller it tends to sit more upright which can potentially cause a baby's heavy head to lean too far forward which can pinch off their airways. In the car, or the stroller, the angle is more laid back so their heads don't fall forward. I think it's important to keep an eye on babies when they're sleeping regardless. I'm not about to freak out and ban my carseat for long drives, and if LO is still asleep after a car trip, I won't get him out right away necessarily- place the carseat on the floor and keep an eye on it until they start to wake. There's risk in everything, but it's good to be informed. I think the take away here is to have them buckled in right, and to ensure that wherever they sleep they aren't slumping too far forward or to the side.

JenLovesDesign

I was also worried about this due to recent news stories as well as a recent conversation between my husband and I after we got home one night on if we leave the sleeping baby in the car seat or not, in the house. First, if you're on Facebook, friend 'the car seat lady'. Invaluable advice on this and other safety items. Secondly, I read the asphyxiation was because the baby was not securely strapped into the seat, thus allowing the baby to slump forward resulting in a pinched airway. Also due to angle not right when not in base. I can't recommend sleeping for a baby in anything except a bare crib or pack and play. Our hospital recommended to Halo sleep sack, arms out, so the babies can help themselves if in harms way.

missliz53

Our lo naps in her rock n play during the day and in her pack n play at night. With the rnp, I have a rolled up towel under her bottom so her legs can straighten out and not be scrunched up. I also have a cloth diaper under the cover to provide a little extra padding to help prevent a flat head. We also prop the rnp so it is at less of an incline. We have to keep her inclined though because of her reflux. Right now we aren't using her swing or bouncy seat because the lack of back support forces her into a slump with her chin on her chest. Hopefully this will change when she gets older since she loves the swing.

lnds32

Thanks for all the feedback! I am going to move my baby to his crib over the next week or so just to ease my anxiety. It's not worth the risk for a few extra hours of sleep. Hopefully after sleeping in the rnp for the past 7 weeks I can get him to sleep some in his crib! I agree with what was said regarding the angle of the car seat when it's clicked into stroller or base. I also read a story where the family had s cover over the car seat due to it being cold outside. Certainly this would further reduce airflow to baby so I would definitely not recommend leaving any type of cover over the car seat for any extended period of time! I love the support and advice on this board! I have learned so much from everyone on here and I am grateful as a FTM to have a place where I can get advice! Thanks everyone!

Knottie23963119

Personally, I don't let my LO sleep in anything that has buckles close to his neck for fear of him not being able to breathe if he gets in the wrong position. The only "toy" I let him sleep in is a vibrating chair. The chair reclines enough that even if he slouches, he's mostly flat. I've only let him sleep in it twice though. I used to let him sleep in his car seat if he fell asleep in the car and we came home, but now with all the articles, I'm scared to do that and won't be doing it from now on. LO usually sleeps in his pack and play, bassinet, or on me.

buckleyk

So I noticed our car seat (Chico key fit 30) has a line that should be parallel to the ground when it's secured in the case or stroller. I assume that's to ensure the incline is correct? I noticed last night that when I sit the seat on the ground, the line is also parallel to the ground. So I'm thinking that means it naturally puts the baby at a safe incline? Has anyone else noticed that?

MiromiM

I wrote this in a different thread and I'm going to include it here to. If you look a the papers the APA used to support their recommendations, the reclined position is only evaluated 1) for car seats and 2) for premature babies and babies less than one month. I tried but I couldn't find any papers on this problem being researched after this age. Perhaps because once they get older, they have more neck muscles?

beth1ann

DS1 ended up in a $5000 helmet which had to be worn for 23 hours a day for five months due to the rock n play, so DS2 has slept in the pack n play since we brought him home.

aprilmay92

I'm currently on a 12 hour car ride with our 10 week old and I've been a nervous wreck the whole time!

jen83mn

My state just published an article regarding unsafe sleeping environments that were the cause of 52 of 56 infant unexplained deaths last year. The article specifically mentions co-sleeping (in bed or on the couch), sleeping on stomachs, and leaving blankets or toys in the crib. It didn't, however, mention anything about sleeping in car seats, RNPs, swings, etc. That's not to say those options are safe in all circumstances, but it leads me to believe that if these devices are used as intended and while under supervision, they can be used safely. None of these devices are meant for sleeping overnight or for long periods of time, but when buckled in correctly and used for supervised naps, they should not pose a danger. If they were as dangerous as some of these articles posted claim them to be, this would be all over the news and products would be recalled. That's not to say terrible accidents don't occur, but considering the millions of babies who go on long car trips or nap in RNPs and swings a year, the probability of this happening seems very small. Of course you should always do everything you can to ensure your baby's safety and use products as they're intended, but try not to let the fear and anxiety limit you from using these products ... just do it safely and as intended

https://m.startribune.com/minnesota-report-ties-infant-deaths-to-unsafe-crib-sleeping-practices/341167251/

Leah821

FWIW, after reading these threads and panicking slightly bc my four week old LO currently sleeps in her rock and play at night (because that's the only place she will sleep 3 hour stretches), I asked a midwife about this and was told that by this point LO has enough muscle tone that positional asphyxiation isn't a risk.

Dot30324

@leah821 while she may be right us if worth the risk? For me, RNP is for naps when I am awake. When it's Bed time mine is in crib. Since day 1. It's just not worth it. You have to do what's best for you and your little one but I would try crib or pack play. It's just safer.

@aprilmay92 you'll be ok! Just watch the head. If it starts to swoop forward pull to side of road to fix it. It's worth the 2 minutes for your sweeties safety.

Dot30324

Girls...use your best judgement! Only you know your baby. Nor doctors or midwives or strangers on the bump (although I love our group)