Newborn rolls to side while sleeping

During pregnancy, one of the first things you might learn about infant care is to put babies to sleep on their backs. But that simple lesson can become confusing when you set your tiny newborn down in a crib — and suddenly find her rolling to her side. 

It's called the newborn scrunch or newborn curl, and if your little one is doing this, don't freak out.

It's fairly common, and you don't have to reposition your baby on her back. Here's what experts recommend you do instead to keep your baby safe while sleeping. 

What is the newborn scrunch?

"Babies have spent the previous nine months in the 'scrunched up' fetal position, so returning to the position feels natural to them," says Gary Reschak, M.D., a pediatrician at Northwestern Medicine Huntley Hospital.

"Physiologically, this position decreases their skin's surface area, which helps babies stay warm."

Getting into the fetal position is what can cause infants to end up on one side or the other, adds Robert Hamilton, M.D., a pediatrician at Providence Saint John's Health Center in Santa Monica, California.

"When

baby rolling to side in bassinet while sleeping

newborn keeps rolling to side in bassinet