Safe sleep for infants

This article discusses Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) and how to keep an infant's sleep safe.

The number of infants who die each year from sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) has decreased in recent decades as awareness of safe sleeping habits has increased. Yet each year, babies still die from sudden, unexplained causes.

Most parents know that it's best for infants to sleep on their backs, rather than on their sides or bellies. But other caregivers may not -- especially if they raised their children in a time when there was less awareness about safe sleeping habits.

Leigh Brown, a health educator at Penn State Hershey Children's Hospital's Pediatric Trauma Injury Prevention Program, said a baby's sleeping environment during the first year of life is one of the biggest factors in SIDS deaths.

"It's confusing for parents because in the media you see these cribs that look all cute and soft and comfortable, when all you really need is a mattress with a tight-fitting sheet," she said.

Items such as crib bumpers, extra bedding, stuffed animals and loose sheets and blankets can cause suffocation for infants who aren't yet able to roll or extract themselves from dangerous situations.

"People have the misconception that babies are freezing, but overheating them is a risk factor as well," Brown said. "If you are comfortable in your house, they probably are as well."

If you must use a blanket with an infant, she suggests tucking it in tightly along the sides and bottom of the crib and no higher than the infant's armpit so it doesn't get near the face.

Brown says parents shouldn't bother to spend their money on items such as sleep positioners, which claim to reduce the risk of SIDS or create a safe environment.

"Those items haven't proven to be safe," she said.

Nor do parents need to worry about the infant rolling from back to side or belly during sleep. If the child is able to roll, he or she is likely able to avoid suffocation.

Many SIDS deaths occur when parents practice bed sharing -- placing the baby between the parents in a regular bed. If parents want their baby to be nearby, it's best to practice room sharing instead by placing the baby in a separate crib or cradle near but not in the adult bed.

Mothers who tend to drift off to sleep while breastfeeding their babies run the risk of having their babies wedge into the crevice of their arm and suffocate.

Exposure to secondhand smoke on an adult's clothing or in the home environment can also increase the chances of a SIDS death.

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Why Babies in Finland Sleep in Cardboard Boxes

Finnish babies sleep in cardboard boxes and it greatly reduces their risk of dying from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).

In Finland expecting mothers can count on a baby shower gift from the government, ABC News reported.

The women are sent a box containing items such as reusable diapers, snowsuits, and other basic needs. The box comes with a mattress in the bottom and is meant to be used as a crib.

Finnish mothers-to-be get to choose between the box, or 140 euros.

Out of the 60,000 maternity grants that are issued every year, 40,000 of them are the care packages.

"The maternity box promotes [having a separate] bed for the newborn instead of sleeping in the same bed with other siblings and/or parents," said Mika Gissler, a research professor for the Finland National Institute for Health and Welfare.

The box may seem like a strange place for a baby to sleep, but it can greatly reduce the risk of sudden infant death syndrome.

"One thing we know about baby's sleep patterns [is that] there's a connection between [Sudden Infant Death Syndrome] and sleep environment," said Dr. Dennis Rosen, the associate medical director of Pediatric Sleep Disorders at Boston Children's hospital. "You want to keep the baby on relatively firm bedding. You don't want to cover the baby up too much...you want to keep the baby on their backs."

The government has been distributing the packages since 1937 when the Maternity Grants Act was passed in an effort to lower the infant mortality rate.

In the 1930s the mortality rate in Finland was about 65 deaths per 1,000, today that number has fallen to 3.38 deaths.

Currently, 100 percent of Finland's women receive prenatal care, which is a big jump since the 1940's when only 20 percent got help.

"[The box] can be seen as a symbol of transformation from a poor agriculture country to a [richer] industrial, welfare state," Gissler said. "It also highlights that the government's will to increase the fertility in Finland and thus it can be seen...as a guarantee for future of the country."

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