Listen up parents: Make sure you’re putting your baby to sleep in a safe position and environment. A new study suggests most parents aren’t doing that, which raises the risk of sleep-related death.
The study, published in Pediatrics, found a whopping 91 percent or more of parents didn’t follow safe sleep guidelines for their babies, even when they were being videotaped. The most common error: putting babies to sleep surrounded by potentially hazardous items such as loose bedding, stuffed animals, pillows and bumper pads.
Up to a third of parents put their babies to sleep on their front or side instead of on their back as recommended. And 1 or 2 babies out of every 10 were placed on an unsafe sleeping surface such as their parent’s bed, a sofa, car seat or a baby swing.
Researchers videotaped 160 families with babies in Pennsylvania (with the families’ permission, of course!). They observed how the babies were put to sleep at 1 month, 3 months and 6 months old.
Often, especially with the youngest babies, infants started off in a safe location but parents moved them to an unsafe place such as an adult bed during the night. Parents were also less likely to put babies to sleep on their backs as they got older.
Following safe sleep guidelines is important because it reduces the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome or SIDS, which affects about 3,500 babies in the United States each year.
Here are some basic safe sleep guidelines from the American Academy of Pediatrics should you need a refresher:
•Always put your baby to sleep on her back, not on her side or tummy.
•Place your baby on a firm mattress, covered by a fitted sheet.
•Do not place babies to sleep on adult beds, chairs, sofas, waterbeds, pillows, or cushions.
•Babies should not share a bed with anyone.
•Keep your baby’s bed free of loose bedding and soft objects, such as fluffy blankets, stuffed animals, bumper pads and comforters.
What do you think about these findings? Do you think there could be challenges preventing parents from following safe sleep guidelines, or is a lack of awareness the problem?
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