STILLWATER---Placing
babies to sleep on their backs instead of their stomachs has been associated
with a dramatic decrease in deaths from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).
Babies have been found dead on their stomachs with their faces, noses, and
mouths covered by soft bedding, such as pillows, quilts, comforters and
sheepskins. However, some babies have been found dead with their heads covered
by soft bedding even while sleeping on their backs.
To prevent infant deaths due to soft bedding, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, the American Academy of
Pediatrics, and the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
have revised their recommendations on safe bedding practices when putting
infants under 12 months down to sleep.
- Place baby on his/her
back on a firm tight-fitting mattress in a crib that meets current safety
standards.
- Remove pillows, quilts,
comforters, sheepskins, pillow-like stuffed toys, and other soft products
from the crib.
- Consider using a
sleeper or other sleep clothing as an alternative to blankets, with no
other covering.
- If using a blanket, put
baby with feet at the foot of the crib. Tuck a thin blanket around the
crib mattress, reaching only as far as the baby's chest.
- Make sure your baby's
head remains uncovered during sleep.
- Do not place baby on a
waterbed, sofa, soft mattress, pillow, or other soft surface to sleep.
Prepared by:
Deborah L. Richardson Assistant
Specialist Child Development
104 HES, Room 233
OCES, Oklahoma State University
Stillwater, OK 74078-6111
405-744-6231
dlricha@okstate.edu *Item can be filed in FR 1-2
For more information contact:
§
U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission www.cpsc.gov or 800-638-2772.
- American Academy of Pediatrics
www.aap.org.
- National Institute of Child Health and Human Development"Back to Sleep" Campaign 800-505-CRIB.