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Even if your infant can roll over on their side, they should always be put to sleep on their back. “The ‘Back to Sleep’ campaign that began in 1994 (and was renamed to Safe to Sleep in 2012) has been one of the single largest contributors to decreasing the risk of sleep-related infant deaths,” said Jenelle Ferry, M.D., a board-certified neonatologist at Pediatrix® Neonatology of Florida. Risks of side sleeping include an increased risk of SIDS and the development of positional torticollis. “Torticollis is a condition caused by a tightening of the sternocleidomastoid muscle in the neck, which results in the turning of the head to one side and tilting it to the other, and sometimes limits full rotation of the neck,” said Dr. Ferry. This condition can be present at birth or develop later, she said. “If an infant sleeps repeatedly on their side, they may develop a preference to turn their head in one direction that could potentially develop into torticollis with tightening of the muscles on one side, although this is not common.”
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