What are the benefits of tummy time for babies?

Tummy time benefits babies by helping them build upper-body strength. Placing babies on their tummies encourages them to use their arms, shoulders, neck, and torso to prop themselves up.

Tummy time may also improve a baby’s motor control skills, helping them learn how to move around. Another potential benefit is preventing flat spots on the back of their head, which can develop if they lie on their backs for a long time.

The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends tummy time for all infants who cannot walk or crawl yet. Babies can start tummy time from birth, starting with a short amount of time each day and building up.

To do it safely, it is important to only give a baby tummy time when a caregiver can supervise them and neither they nor the baby is likely to fall asleep.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) recommends giving babies two or three short sessions of tummy time per day, with each session lasting 3 to 5 minutes. By 2 months old, babies should get 15 to 30 minutes of tummy time daily.