Humana HealthBeat Transcript Archive

Some 3,000 babies die from sudden infant death syndrome each year. But that’s a 40% decrease since the launch of a national "Back to Sleep" campaign started six years ago. The National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, part of the National Institutes of Health, leads the campaign.

The goal is to encourage caretakers to place a healthy baby to sleep on its back, since there’s convincing evidence that babies who sleep on their stomachs are at increased risk of dying of SIDS.

But a study reported in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that, compared to other racial groups, African American infants were less likely to be placed on their backs, independent of mother’s income or education.

The researchers urge greater efforts to promote acceptance of the "back to sleep" message among more African Americans—in fact, these findings have spurred the government into developing a community-based outreach program in collaboration with African American organizations.

Babies who begin sleeping on their backs from the moment of birth are more likely to get used to sleeping that way throughout infancy. Parents who are concerned that baby might spit up and choke can be reassured. Studies show there’s no increase in choking when babies sleep on their backs.

April 28
SIDS
	Some 3,000 babies die from sudden infant death syndrome each year. But that’s a 40% decrease since the launch of a national "Back to Sleep" campaign started six years ago. The National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, part of the National Institutes of Health, leads the campaign. The goal is to encourage caretakers to place a healthy baby to sleep on its back, since there’s convincing evidence that babies who sleep on their stomachs are at increased risk of dying of SIDS. But a study reported in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that, compared to other racial groups, African American infants were less likely to be placed on their backs, independent of mother’s income or education. The researchers urge greater efforts to promote acceptance of the "back to sleep" message among more African Americans—in fact, these findings have spurred the government into developing a community-based outreach program in collaboration with African American organizations. Babies who begin sleeping on their backs from the moment of birth are more likely to get used to sleeping that way throughout infancy. Parents who are concerned that baby might spit up and choke can be reassured. Studies show there’s no increase in choking when babies sleep on their backs.

	Do we know what causes SIDS? Not conclusively, but the evidence suggests that SIDS babies may have brain abnormalities that make them vulnerable. In addition to stomach sleeping, factors that contribute to a higher risk of SIDS include having a mom who smoked during pregnancy or being exposed to second hand smoke, and prematurity or low birthweight.
	REFERENCE AND RESOURCES: Willinger, M, Chia-Wen Ko, et al. Factors Associated with Caregivers’Choice of Infant Sleep Position, 1994-1998. JAMA 2000; 283:2135-2142. http://jama.ama-assn.org/issues/v283n16/full/joc90991.html National SIDS Resource Center http://www.circsol.com/sids/index.HTM SIDS: "Back to Sleep" Campaign http://156.40.88.3/sids The American SIDS Institute www.sids.org SIDS Alliance www.sidsalliance.org SIDS Network http://sids-network.org Reduce the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome The American Academy of Pediatrics www.aap.org/new/sids/reduceth.htm