While many research studies advocate placing infants on their backs to reduce the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), or crib death, there are now even more good reasons for moms and dads to place their babies to sleep on their backs. The National Institute of Child Health and Human Development has found that this safe sleeping practice may also make infants less susceptible to certain health problems. “The research showing that putting infants on their backs to sleep is saving lives is now revealing an outstanding additional benefit — the reduction of otitis media (ear infection) in infants,” says James F. Battey, Jr., M.D., Ph.D., Director of the Institute. The study found that at three and six months of age, infants sleeping on their backs had fewer visits to the pediatrician for ear infections than infants sleeping on their stomachs. The study also found that at one month of age, back sleepers had fevers less often. Six-month-old infants sleeping on their backs were less likely to have stuffy noses. In addition, parents of 6-month-old back sleepers reported fewer instances in which their infants had trouble sleeping. In the 1980s, several countries conducted studies which found that placing infants to sleep on their backs reduced the risk of SIDS. In 1992, roughly 70 percent of U.S. infants were placed to sleep on their stomachs. The Institute-sponsored Back to Sleep campaign, which began in 1994, urges parents and caregivers to place infants to sleep on their backs in order to reduce SIDS risk. As of 1998, the percentage of infants sleeping on their stomachs decreased to 17 percent; the SIDS rate had also dropped by about 40 percent. Despite this progress, however, SIDS remains the number one cause of death for infants from one month to one year of age. Most SIDS deaths occur when a baby is between two and four months. While researchers are unsure why back sleepers have fewer health problems than stomach sleepers, one possibility is that infants who sleep on their stomachs have higher mouth and throat temperatures. These higher temperatures may be more favorable to the bacteria that cause colds and ear infections. While many parents fear that babies put to sleep on their backs may choke on spit-up or vomit, the American Academy of Pediatrics notes that there is no increased risk of choking for healthy infants who sleep on their backs. Some parents are also concerned that their babies will develop a flat spot on the back of their heads from spending too much time lying on their backs. Since the start of the Back to Sleep campaign, this condition has become more common; but it is usually treatable by simply changing baby’s sleep position frequently and allowing for more “tummy time” while awake.
Tips to Ensure a Safe Sleep Environment for Your Baby The SIDS Alliance, a national non-profit organization dedicated to the elimination of SIDS, recommends the following safe infant sleep practices to ensure the health and safety of your baby:
• Always place your baby on his back to sleep and on a firm, tight-fitting mattress in a crib that meets current safety standards. • Never place your baby down alone on a waterbed, pillow, sofa, or other soft surface to sleep. • Remove pillows, quilts, comforters, stuffed toys, and other soft products from the crib. • If using a blanket, place baby with his feet at the base of the crib. Tuck a thin blanket in around the crib mattress, but only as far as his chest. • Make sure your baby is sleeping in a smoke-free environment. Babies and young children exposed to smoke are more susceptible to colds and have an increased risk of SIDS. • Consider using a sleeper or a baby sleep sack as an alternative to blankets. • Make sure your baby’s head remains uncovered during sleep to prevent him from choking. • Be sure to let baby sitters, daycare providers, grandparents, and anyone who cares for your baby know that your baby sleeps on his back.
