Back to Sleep Campaign

I am mentioning a sad story today in hopes of helping other parents. A 7 week old baby in Pekin, Illinois died this week and the coroner attributes the death to the baby being placed on his stomach to sleep. This is so sad. I know my oldest son loved to sleep on his stomach when he was first born, but I only let him do so if I was lying down and he was on my stomach. The coroner ruled the baby's death accidental.

The Back to Sleep campaign started 13 years ago and according to the AAP, the rate of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome has dropped by 50%. The SIDS Network describes The syndrome as a the sudden death of an infant which remains unexplained after all known and possible causes have been carefully ruled out through autopsy, death scene investigation, and review of the medical history. We don't know whether the baby mentioned above died from SIDS, but this is a good reason for all of us to brush up on the facts.

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics:

• About one in five sudden infant death syndrome(SIDS) deaths occur while an infant is in the care of someone other than a parent. Many of these deaths occur when babies who are used to sleeping on their backs at home are then put to sleep on their tummies by another caregiver.


• Babies who are used to sleeping on their backs and are put to sleep on their tummies are 6-9 times more likely to die from SIDS.


• Side sleeping is not as safe as back sleeping and is not advised.


• SIDS is most common among infants that are 2-4 months old


• SIDS is more common in male babies


• SIDS is more common during the winter months


• The leading cause of death for infants between
  1 month and 12 months of age is SIDS

The AAP recommends putting a child on his/her back to sleep until age one. I know my baby started rolling over on his stomach when he was about 5 months old. My pediatrician said that is okay if they do it on their own, but make sure there are no blankets, animals or other things that could suffocate the child.

The Central Illinois area had several babies die a few years ago in a short period of time after parents put the baby to sleep in their bed and the baby suffocated. This is certainly a scary situation.

Kids Health. org looks at whether Cosleeping is Safe?

Despite the possible pros like being close to your baby and making breastfeeding easier, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) warns parents not to place their infants to sleep in adult beds, stating that the practice puts babies at risk of suffocation and strangulation. And the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) is in agreement with the CPSC.

We used the pack n' play with a bassinet feature. I put it right next to the bed. I picked up and fed him in bed, then put him back in the pack n' play to sleep.

What did you do with your kids? I know things have changed a lot since I was a baby.

-NewsAnchorMom Jen