In this video I'm going to walk you through five common mistakes new parents make that can have a negative impact on their baby's development. And they're really easy to overlook. For example, this first one looks like a very typical day with a newborn, but after I walk you through it, I'll take you through why it's not great for your baby's development. Your newborn wakes up, and after feeding them, you place them in a bouncer for some playtime. As they get sleepy, you switch them to a baby carrier for a nap. Then when they wake up, it's time for another feed, and then they're back in the bouncer while you get ready for the day. Next, it's a trip to the shops, where your baby travels in a car seat. Once you get to the store, you transfer the capsule with your baby still inside onto a stroller while you do the grocery shopping. Then after the grocery shopping, you head back home with your baby, potentially having another nap again in that car seat. This cycle of moving from one container to another continues throughout the day until bedtime. This is known as container hopping, and it's the pattern of switching your baby from one container to another. These containers include everyday items like swings, bounces, car seats, strollers, baby floor seats, high chairs, jumpers, activity centres, exersaucers, and baby carriers. And while it might not seem harmful, it presents a hidden issue. These devices, by design, keep your baby in a fixed position, thereby limiting their ability to move around freely. The ability to move freely is vital for your baby's physical development. Stretching, reaching for objects, kicking, and even the simple act of wiggling is helping to strengthen your baby's muscles and improve their coordination. These are foundational skills required for major developmental milestones such as rolling over, crawling, and eventually sitting up. Therefore, not being able to move freely can lead to delays or make it challenging for your baby to achieve these milestones. Furthermore, it is through movement that your baby learns about their body and their environment. As they move around, they develop spatial awareness, learn about balance, and understand cause and effect, like kicking a toy and watching it move. This learning is crucial for cognitive development and forms the foundation for more complex skills later in life. So, if your baby is confined to containers for extended periods, they will miss out on these valuable learning experiences. Now this isn't to say that you should avoid using baby gear like rockers or bouncers entirely. They definitely come in handy sometimes. I used to use a rocker to keep my newborn safe while I was cooking in the kitchen. The message here is moderation and be mindful of how much time your little one is spending in containers. Now I often hear a maximum of 15 minutes at a time that a baby should spend in a container. But as far as I'm aware, there isn't any research that states that 15 minutes is a set limit. I think when people mention this specific time limit, what they're trying to get across is just the importance of giving your baby frequent opportunities to move around freely. What I recommend is to try and make sure that the time your baby spends playing on the floor is much more than the time that they spend in these containers. Floor play is key whether they're on their back, side or tummy as this is where they have the freedom to move, explore and develop. So while it's fine to use these devices when needed, always try to balance it with plenty of floor time because this is essential for your baby's development. This next one is really easy to overlook because its signs are so subtle. But missing it could have a big impact on your baby's development. From the moment they're born till around three months of age, you'll notice that your newborn's head naturally falls to one side whether they're awake or asleep. This is perfectly normal. However, if you notice that your baby's head always leans to the same side, it could be a sign of something called positional torticollis. Positional torticollis happens when one of your baby's neck muscles is tighter than the other, making them turn their head more to one side. If this condition is left untreated, it can affect your baby's development in a few ways. The tight neck muscles can actually make it challenging for your baby to develop and use their muscles evenly. This uneven muscle development can lead to difficulties in balancing and coordinating their movements. And as your baby grows, this might impact on their ability to reach important milestones such as sitting up, crawling or walking because their muscles aren't working together as they should. Furthermore, the constant head tilt might lead to changes in your baby's posture. As your baby grows, these postural changes can become more pronounced and may require physical therapy or other interventions to correct it. And on top of that, the continuous head tilt can increase the chances of your baby developing a flat spot on the back of their head as the pressure is always on the one side. And lastly, the limited neck movement can also make breastfeeding harder, particularly on one side as your baby may struggle to latch on comfortably. So given these potential impacts, early detection and intervention are key. If you do notice that your baby is consistently tilting their head to one side, it's a good idea to book an appointment with a pediatric physiotherapist or physical therapist from my American friends. They will be able to recommend exercises or other treatments to help loosen your baby's tight neck muscles so it doesn't have as big of an impact on their development. This next mistake is commonly dismissed as a normal part of newborn development that will self-correct over time and it's easy to understand why. At birth, newborns often have elongated or unusually shaped heads. This is due to their position in the uterus during pregnancy and the molding of their skull as they pass through the birth canal. However, what many don't realize is most babies' heads return to a normal shape within about six weeks after birth. Therefore, if you notice a flat spot on the back or side of your baby's head, you might assume that it's a normal part of this reshaping process and will correct itself with time. But in reality, this could be a condition known as positional plagiocephaly. Positional plagiocephaly is when flattening occurs on the skull bones at the back or side of your baby's head. And while positional plagiocephaly doesn't impact brain development, it can affect your baby's appearance leading to asymmetrical head or facial growth and sometimes vision problems. And in severe cases, medical intervention may be needed to reduce the flattening and facial asymmetry. So if you do notice any flattening on the back or side of your baby's head, it is important to discuss it with your baby's doctor as soon as possible. This next one is to do with baby-wearing and the impact it can have on your baby's hip development. During the first six months, your baby's hips are still developing and as such, the way you wear them plays a crucial role in shaping their hip joints. If your baby's legs hang straight down with their thighs close together while you wear them for hours at a time, it can negatively impact their hip development. Being in this position can increase the risk of a condition called Developmental Dysplasia of the Hip or DDH. DDH occurs when the ball of a baby's hip isn't properly positioned in the hip socket, causing the hip to be loose and unstable. And in severe cases, it can even cause the hip joint to dislocate. Although DDH isn't painful for babies, if left untreated, it can lead to issues later on. Your child may develop a limp or they may walk on their toes or develop a waddling walk. And over time, they could develop arthritis at the hip joint, which can be painful and might even require a hip replacement. So to reduce this risk and support healthy hip development, the International Hip Dysplasia Institute recommend that you wear your baby so that they're facing you for the first six months of life. And when you are wearing them, you want to ensure that their knees are spread apart with their legs wrapped around your body. Their hips should be bent so that their knees are slightly higher than their bottom and their thighs should be well supported. This M or frog-like position is the best position for healthy hip development. This next mistake doesn't hinder your baby's development, but it does increase their risk of suffocation. So I feel like it's an important one to mention. And that is letting your baby sleep in baby bouncers, rockers, swings and gliders. And here's why. When you place your baby in these baby seats, they're positioned at an angle. And if they were to fall asleep, their head can tilt forward, causing the chin to press down on their chest. This position can block their airways, making it harder for them to breathe properly. This dangerous situation is referred to as positional asphyxiation. And the really worrying thing about asphyxiation is that it's silent and can go unnoticed. A baby struggling to breathe might not show obvious signs of trouble. So even if you're in the same room, keeping an eye on your sleeping baby in one of these devices, you might not realize something is wrong until it's too late. That's why organisations like Red Nose Australia and the American Academy of Pediatrics strongly recommend only using baby bouncers, rockers, swings and gliders for playtime when you're actively supervising. If you feel like you would like a little more help on the development side of things specifically on what you can do at each age to promote healthy development, things to avoid, the best toys for your little ones development, what you should and shouldn't expect to see as their development progresses and lots more, then you might be interested in my program Play Develop Thrive, which I will link to in the description below. In addition to never letting your little one sleep in a rocker, bouncer, swing or glider, there are also a few items that should never be in your baby's crib. And this is because these baby sleep products, while they seem completely harmless, can significantly increase the risk of suffocation, overheating, positional asphyxiation and more. So make sure you watch this video next to learn exactly what these baby sleep products are and why you should keep them out of your baby's crib.
