AAP Credits Cribs, Pacifiers With Reduced SIDS Risk

The American Academy of Pediatrics recently released new guidelines to reduce the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. The new AAP SIDS guidelines recommend that babies sleep in a safe crib with a firm crib mattress and smooth sheet. Surprisingly, the new AAP guidelines advise parents to give their baby a pacifier at naptime and bedtime through the first year or life. The pro- pacifier message has sparked controversy among breastfeeding advocates, who say that pacifiers can disrupt breastfeeding, which AAP also suggests for baby's first year.

A warning against bed sharing raised alarms among attachment parenting groups, who believe that sharing sleep space with baby has its own SIDS- reducing benefits. The new guidelines suggest a separate sleep space near the parent's bed.

The new guidelines also advise parents not to rely on baby sleep monitors to protect baby from SIDS and warn against the use of sleep positioners and products that aim to prevent rebreathing of stale air.

The remaining SIDS prevention strategies are familiar to most parents - put baby to sleep on his/her back; remove pillows, soft objects and loose bedding from baby's sleep space; don't smoke around baby; and use light clothing for bedtime to avoid overheating.

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