CHILD HEALTH + SAFETY
Safe Sleep Practices for Babies
An expert reminds parents that common infant sleep aids and positioners are anything but safe By Kellie Schmitt In recent years, there’s been an alarming number of product recalls as babies suffocate and die in sleep positioners that aren’t safe or weren’t designed for sleeping. This past September, The Boppy Company recalled more than 3.3 million “Newborn Loungers” after they were linked to eight reported infant sleeping deaths, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). Meanwhile, that commission has also cautioned against using any inclined sleepers after more than 70 infant deaths were associated with those products. Too often, it isn’t until products enter the market and more children are exposed to them that the hazards become apparent, notes Mollie Greves Grow, M.D., MPH, a pediatrician and associate professor at Seattle Children’s Hospital. At the same time, exhausted families are often so desperate for a good night’s rest that they may put their child to sleep in a product not designed for that purpose. These tragedies emphasize the importance of following infant sleep safety recommendations: For the first year of life, babies should always be placed to sleep on their backs on a firm, flat surface with a tightly fitted sheet. The crib should be empty, without any objects that could suffocate or entrap them, such as pillows, bumper pads or a sleep positioner. These guidelines are important not only for nighttime sleep but also for anytime and anyplace an infant naps — which can happen frequently in the early months. (Find more recommendations for creating a safe sleep environment from the American Academy of Pediatrics.) “It’s just really sad and upsetting when serious harm and death comes as a result of babies not being able to reposition or get into a place where they can fully breathe,” says Grow. “It feels like such a
tragic, preventable death in most cases.” What’s happening and why In the United States, about 3,400 babies die suddenly and unexpectedly while sleeping each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Causes include strangulation and suffocation as well as sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), or a sudden and unexplained death of a baby younger than 1. Suffocation can occur when babies move into a position that obstructs their breathing, Grow says. Without the muscle strength to reposition themselves effectively, they’re more likely to get stuck in a spot that doesn’t allow enough air flow. For example, with inclined sleep products, an infant’s nose and mouth may be too close to the side, restricting their airflow and leading them to breathe in their own carbon dioxide. When babies are propped up on an incline, their heads can fall forward, blocking their airway. Soft objects or loose bedding can also suffocate them. “Anything that’s soft can get up near their nose and obstruct breathing quickly,” warns Grow. Some babies may not have the ability to detect low oxygen and arouse from sleep, something clinicians and researchers believe may be associated with SIDS. Sleeping on 23
