Study Lists Sleeping Prone Among Crib Death Factors
In a study that offers new warnings to parents, a team of Australian researchers reports today that babies who sleep on their stomachs are more likely to die of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome if they have also suffered a recent illness or go to bed swaddled, on soft mattresses, or in a heated room.
“Healthy infants should not be placed prone to sleep,” the researchers from the University of Tasmania caution in today’s New England Journal of Medicine. “These results suggest that if infants have to sleep in the prone position for a specific medical reason, they should be placed on a firm mattress and not swaddled.”
The Australian group was among the first to demonstrate the link between Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), known commonly as crib death, and babies who sleep face-down. Its work prompted the American Academy of Pediatrics to issue a recommendation last year that healthy babies be put to sleep on their sides or backs.
That recommendation, which contradicted a long-held belief that babies should sleep on their stomachs to avoid choking, remains controversial. Some experts said Wednesday that the Australian study may not be applicable to the United States because of different cultural factors--such as the types of mattresses and heating systems used.
“A lot of pediatricians follow the Academy’s recommendation, but a lot think we are jumping the gun,” said Dr. James A. Taylor, who is conducting SIDS research at the University of Washington. “What we really need is some good, hard scientific data from the United States. That is the key piece of the puzzle.”
Others said parents should take heed of the new findings.
“We don’t know the cause of SIDS,” said Dr. Thomas G. Keens, a USC professor who researches SIDS at Childrens Hospital Los Angeles. “Most people do not think that sleeping position alone is the cause of SIDS. But if there is a chance that we can reduce or prevent some SIDS from occurring by having babies sleep on their backs, even though we don’t know why it works, then I think that is reasonable.”
Sudden Infant Death Syndrome generally occurs in apparently healthy infants who are less than 6 months old. Although it is uncommon--the risk is 1.5 in 1,000 among U.S. infants--the syndrome understandably provokes great fear among new parents.
