Back in 1992, the American Academy of Pediatrics launched the "Back to Sleep" campaign, which encouraged parents to have their infants sleep on their backs (supine position) to reduce the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). This campaign was rebranded as "Safe to Sleep" in 1994, and SIDS rates in the United States have dropped steadily ever since.

While placing infants on their backs during sleep has been associated with a reduction in SIDS, this positioning is also associated with the development of plagiocephaly (flattening of the back or side of the head), along with negative effects on muscle tone. As a result, pediatricians commonly recommend placing infants on their tummies (prone position) during times when they are awake and can be supervised, to improve their muscle tone.  However, as any new parent will tell you, most infants, particularly those who do not spend a lot of time on their tummies, really hate tummy time. They will cry, whine, and refuse to lift their heads.

Here’s where ABA comes in:

Kadey and Roane (2012) conducted research that showed that presenting a preferred stimulus during tummy time (such as a video, book, or preferred toy) increased the amount of time that the child raised her head off the mat, while simultaneously decreasing the amount of crying and whining that occurred during tummy time. This is significant, as many parents find their infants crying during tummy time too distressing, which will result in parents placing their infants on their tummies less frequently.

Ortega and Fienup (2015) replicated that study, but also added parental attention to the equation. They found that pairing a preferred stimulus with parental attention had an even greater effect on increasing the time the infant raised his head, and decreased crying and whining to even lower rates.

So, the next time you find yourself getting anxious at the thought of doing tummy time with your infant, remember to grab her favorite toy and get on your tummy with her. A great tummy time will be had by all!