Sleeping posture important in infants

Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), also called crib death or cot death, is a leading cause of death in babies less than a year old. Most SIDS deaths occur when babies are between two and four months of age, and are seen more often in boys. Findings from a European study suggest that about 48 percent of crib deaths are attributable to the baby sleeping on its front or side. Sleeping in a room other than the parent's room was linked to 36 percent of cases, and 16 percent were linked to bed sharing. To better understand the risk factors for SIDS, researchers from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, conducted studies in 20 regions in Europe. Data from 745 SIDS cases and 2411 living babies were included in the analysis.Consistent with previous reports, sleeping in the prone position or turning from the side to the prone position were major risk factors for SIDS. Compared with infants who slept in other positions, those that slept prone or turned from the side to the prone position were 13 and 45 times more likely, respectively, to experience SIDS.

Unless the mother smoked, bed sharing had little effect on the risk of SIDS and the link was only apparent during the first 8 weeks of life. In contrast, if the mother smoked, bed sharing raised the risk of SIDS by 13-fold during the first weeks of life. Maternal alcohol use was identified as a significant SIDS risk factor, but only when the infant shared the bed all night, the researchers report. Avoidable risk factors such as those associated with inappropriate infants' sleeping position, type of bedding used, and sleeping arrangements strongly suggest a basis for further substantial reductions in SIDS incidence rates.

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