Sudden Infant Death Syndrome - SIDS

Article Link: http://exchangepress.com/article/sudden-infant-death-syndrome-sids/5015367/

Question

We know that the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome is reduced when
babies are placed on their backs to sleep. Don’t babies have more trouble
sleeping and an increased risk of choking when they sleep on their backs?

Answer

No.

New research shows people are mistaken who think babies sleep better on their tummies, or are more likely to have some health problem
if they sleep on their backs. Data collected over the past decade shows that back-only positioning helps to prevent SIDS. Now we know putting babies down to sleep on their backs reduces symptoms and improves sleeping.

SIDS occurs more frequently during the hours infants are in child care than when babies are in their own homes. Sadly, back-only positioning is less commonly practiced in child care. This finding led to this year’s launch of a national campaign to promote back sleeping positioning and other SIDS reduction measures
in child care. Back-only positioning for sleeping is known to reduce the incidence of SIDS by 40%.

Now, a May 2003 report published in the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine shows that many of the excuses teachers give for improper sleep positioning are not valid. ...