August 18, 2016

Study: Parents still put babies in risky sleep environments

Written by Karina Shedrofsky, USA TODAY

This post originally appeared on USA Today.

A study involving videos of slumbering infants found the vast majority of parents placed babies in unsafe sleep environments associated with an increased risk of death despite guidance from health care providers and public education campaigns.

The American Academy of Pediatrics report released Monday is the first to look at video recordings of parental behavior rather than relying on self-reported surveys or police reports after an infant’s death.

Researchers recorded infants for one night at ages 1, 3 and 6 months in family homes. The videos revealed most parents placed children at risk by positioning infants on their sides or stomachs, using soft sleep surfaces or loose bedding or sharing a bed with a parent.

Sleep-related infant deaths are the most common cause of death for babies between one month and one year of age, according to the United States Department of Health and Human Services. Such deaths include sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) and accidental suffocation and strangulation in bed.

Read the full post >>