Tummy time is a colloquial term used to encourage parents to ensure their babies spend time on their stomachs. Babies may benefit from spending time on their stomachs. It may help strengthen their posterior neck muscles and reach milestones like crawling faster.[1] Though babies who do not spend time on their stomachs eventually catch up physically, physical therapists say the first few months of life are an important time for babies to start to become aware of their bodies and begin to learn movement and balance.
In 1992, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommended babies sleep on their backs to prevent Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). Although the rate of SIDS decreased by 50% since the Back to Sleep campaign started in 1994,[2] an unintended consequence was that babies missed out on the twelve or so hours they used to spend in the prone position which helps strengthen neck and back muscles. As a result of the Back to Sleep Campaign there was a significant rise in cases of plagiocephaly in infants; particularly positional plagiocephaly. Parents are now being encouraged to ensure their babies receive tummy time while they are awake in order to counter this.