Tummy time — placing a baby on his or her stomach only while awake and supervised — can help your baby develop strong neck and shoulder muscles and promote motor skills. Tummy time can also prevent the back of your baby's head from developing flat spots (positional plagiocephaly).

Is tummy time really necessary?

Tummy time is important for helping your child strengthen the muscles in her arms, chest, and neck--muscles needed for sitting, crawling, and walking! It also helps to lower your baby's risk of developing flat spots on his head (plagiocephaly), which can result when babies spend less time on their stomachs or upright.

What age should you start tummy time?

Aim for around 20 to 30 minutes a day of baby tummy time by the time he is 3 or 4 months old. Then keep the practice up until baby can roll over on his own, a feat many babies accomplish around 6 or 7 months of age.