Infants should not be kept sitting for long

Infants less than a month old should not be made to sit for a long period of time, as this may place them at an increased risk for sudden infant death. Researchers in Canada conducted a 10-year review, between January 1991 and December 2000, of all sudden unexplained deaths between birth and one year of age that occurred in the province of Quebec. Medical and coroners' records were used to identify 99 explained deaths, caused by heart-related problems or infections, and 409 unexplained deaths. Overall, 10 infants in the unexplained death group and seven in the explained death group died while sitting in a car seat or other sitting device. All other deaths occurred while infants were lying down. When the age of the infants at death was taken into account and adjusted for premature births, it was found that more than nine per cent of the infants who died at less than one month of age were in a sitting position at the time of death. By contrast, just over two per cent of older infants died while in a sitting position. Lower level of oxygen in the blood of infants in a sitting position, as compared to being in bed, could be one of the contributors to these deaths. Thus, caution should be exercised when placing younger infants in car seats and similar sitting devices, whether or not the infants have been born prematurely. One hour at a time should be the maximum time an infant should spend in a sitting position. Also, more attention should be given to infants at increased risk of upper airway obstruction.