Bed-sharing is one of the greatest risk factors for sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) and other sleep-related deaths among infants, a new study finds.
Previous studies have identified several risk factors of SIDS but very little is known about whether these risk factors change with age. Researchers from the American Academy of Pediatrics conducted a study to get a better understanding of this.
For the study, researchers examined sleep-related infant deaths from 24 states between 2004 and 2012. The data was part of the National Center for the Review and Prevention of Child Deaths study. Researchers analyzed a total of 8,207 deaths. These death cases were divided into two groups based on the infant's age. Researchers found 69 percent of the infants were bed-sharing during the time of their death.
The researchers noted that, for obvious reasons, younger infants were more likely to bed-share with an adult than older infants (73.8 percent vs. 58.9 percent). Older infants were more likely to sleep with a stuffed toy or their favorite blanket. This led researchers to conclude that SIDS risk factors may indeed change as an infant grows older.
Many infants die during sleep from unsafe sleep environment. Some of these deaths are from entrapment, suffocation, and strangulation. Some infants die from sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). However, there are ways for parents to keep their sleeping baby safe. The American Academy of Pediatrics has released a list of guidelines parents can follow.
Place your baby to sleep on his back. Babies up to 1 year of age should always be placed on their backs to sleep during naps and at night. Place your baby on a firm sleep surface. The crib, bassinet, portable crib, or play yard should meet current safety standards.
Keep soft objects, loose bedding, or any objects that could increase the risk of entrapment, suffocation, or strangulation out of the crib. Pillows, quilts, comforters, sheepskins, bumper pads, and stuffed toys can cause your baby to suffocate.
Place your baby to sleep in the same room where you sleep but not the same bed. Keep the crib or bassinet within an arm's reach of your bed.
Breastfeed as much and for as long as you can. Studies show that breastfeeding your baby can help reduce the risk of SIDS.
Schedule and go to all well-child visits. Your baby will receive important immunizations. Recent evidence suggests that immunizations may have a protective effect against SIDS. Keep your baby away from smokers and places where people smoke. Don't use products that claim to reduce the risk of SIDS, according to the National Institute of Health.
Don't let your baby get too hot. Keep the room where your baby sleeps at a comfortable temperature. In general, dress your baby in no more than one extra layer than you would wear.
Offer a pacifier at nap time and bedtime. This helps to reduce the risk of SIDS. Don't use home cardiorespiratory monitors to help reduce the risk of SIDS. Home cardiorespiratory monitors can be helpful for babies with breathing or heart problems but they have not been found to reduce the risk of SIDS.
More than 2,000 babies die from SIDS each year. Most SIDS deaths occur when in babies between 1 month and 4 months of age and the majority (90 percent) of SIDS deaths occur before a baby reaches 6 months of age. However SIDS deaths can occur anytime during a baby's first year, according to a Centers For Disease Control and Prevention report.
The current study was published in the journal Pediatrics.
