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Infants should sleep in room with parents for first 6 months to prevent SIDS: report

Xinhua, October 25, 2016 Adjust font size:

Infants should sleep in the same room as their parents, but not on the same bed, for at least the first six months of their life to prevent sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), according to a new report released Monday by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).

In recommendations that drew on new research and served as the first update to a 2011 policy, the AAP said parents should place babies on their backs and on a firm sleep surface such as a crib or bassinet with a tight-fitting sheet and avoid use of soft bedding, including crib bumpers, blankets, pillows and soft toys.

Optimally, parents should share a bedroom with their newborns until the baby turns one because evidence shows that room-sharing decreases the risk of SIDS by as much as 50 percent, it said.

"We know that parents may be overwhelmed with a new baby in the home, and we want to provide them with clear and simple guidance on how and where to put their infant to sleep," Rachel Moon, lead author of the report, said in a statement.

"Parents should never place the baby on a sofa, couch, or cushioned chair, either alone or sleeping with another person. We know that these surfaces are extremely hazardous."

Breastfeeding is also recommended as adding protection against SIDS. After feeding, the AAP encouraged parents to move the baby to his or her separate sleeping space in the parents' bedroom.

"If you are feeding your baby and think that there's even the slightest possibility that you may fall asleep, feed your baby on your bed, rather than a sofa or cushioned chair," said Lori Feldman-Winter, member of the Task Force on SIDS and co-author of the report.

"As soon as you wake up, be sure to move the baby to his or her own bed," she said. "There should be no pillows, sheets, blankets or other items that could obstruct the infant's breathing or cause overheating."

SIDS is the unexplained death, usually during sleep, of a seemingly healthy baby less than a year old. It's the leading cause of death among infants one month to one year old, and claims the lives of about 1,500 each year in the United States, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Enditem