"You're absolutely right: placing your baby on their back is the safest position for sleep. The good news is that, after doctors launched the Back to Sleep campaign in the '90s, infant deaths in bed (also called SIDS or SUID) dropped dramatically. Thousands of lives have been saved! Unfortunately, despite this progress, almost 4,000 families suffer the agony of the tragic loss of their baby during sleep every year, and over half are found face down or on their side."
"One reason is that in utero, a baby's hips are constantly bent with their knees pressed against the belly. After months in that position, the hip muscles shorten, which makes it uncomfortable to be flat on the back with the hips more straightened. Also, for many babies, a little pressure against the chest and belly, like when sleeping prone or calming over our shoulder, is as important for soothing as rocking, shushing, and sucking."
Back-sleeping is the safest sleep position for infants and drove a major decline in SIDS after the Back to Sleep campaign in the 1990s. Despite progress, nearly 4,000 babies still die during sleep annually, with over half found face down or on their side. Some infants prefer tummy or being held because prenatal hip positioning shortens hip muscles and because gentle chest/belly pressure soothes them. Stomach-sleeping triples the risk of SIDS, in part because noses can become accidentally covered by soft bedding or pressed against the mattress. Severe parental fatigue can lead to risky sleep shortcuts such as bed sharing or unsafe positioners.
Read at www.esquire.com
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