
As early as 1988, scientists began to recommend putting babies to sleep on their backs to reduce the risk of SIDS. (By the way, the idea that babies will choke if they spit up or vomit while sleeping on their backs is a myth: studies show that babies who sleep on their backs are not necessarily more likely to choke while sleeping.)įrom the late 1960s to the early 1990s, scientists conducted more research around what is now called SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome). While noble in his intentions, he set parents on the wrong path for the next 50 years. He also thought the suffocation explanation caused unnecessary guilt for parents over their child’s death. He attributed the face-down sleeping deaths to infection, choking on vomit, and a hypersensitivity to inhaled milk. In 1945 a pediatrician (Woolley) vocally rejected these findings through some faulty research of his own. These findings launched a short-lived campaign against face-down sleeping positions. In 1944, a pathologist from New York noticed that about 66% of infants who died from suffocation during the night were face down. But why might your mom and grandmother insist you should put your baby on his or her tummy to sleep? Because for a long time, doctors did not understand that sleeping in the supine position (on the back) was safest for babies. You’ve probably heard from a number of sources the phrase “Back to Sleep,” a campaign that was launched in 1994 and is still used today. How important is proper sleeping position? What is the correct sleeping position for your newborn, and how long do they need to sleep that way? A quick history of sleep positions One of these correlations, and the one we’re going to focus on today, has to do specifically with baby sleep positions. (For more information on that, check out our SIDS prevention ebook here. While there are no set of precautions that guarantee this, there are several correlations researchers have found between the sleeping environment and SIDS. Many parents wonder what they can do to help prevent such a tragedy from striking their family.

Simply scroll through your Facebook feed and you are sure to come across plenty of articles telling you exactly what you are doing wrong!įor the most part, a lot of this advice is a matter of opinion, but when it comes to matters of safety, it’s important to gather as much reliable information as you can. As a new parent, you are constantly bombarded with a deluge of advice and information about everything from feeding schedules to stimulating toys.
