The New Safe Sleep Guidelines — What You Need to Know
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recently released details from their comprehensive research on how best to keep babies safe, with particular attention to sleep practices and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). The recommendation that has most people talking is that parents should room share with babies for their first year of life. While this may seem excessive, here’s what you need to know about SIDS and why this recommendation has been suggested:
SIDS has no known cause and cannot be directly prevented. However, there are factors that can significantly reduce your child’s risk, including removing any soft bedding, bumper pads and toys from the crib; putting babies to sleep on their backs, in their own separate space, and on a firm, flat surface; and room sharing.
Room sharing allows for babies to sense and smell their parents, which can be especially significant if mom is breastfeeding – another factor that can reduce the incidence of SIDS. While we all may want our babies to sleep through the night uninterrupted, it’s actually safest and best for babies that they do wake occasionally to be fed and to help prev prevent SIDS.
SIDS is a risk factor for babies during their entire first year of life, with the majority (90%) of cases occurring within the first 6 months.
Room sharing is recommended; bed sharing is not. The AAP strongly discourages parents from sharing a bed with babies because of the increased risk of SIDS. Parents know that keeping babies safe is of utmost importance, and we want to know that we are doing all that we can to prevent any harm.
Recommendations such as those presented by the AAP this week can help to significantly reduce our risk of SIDS-related deaths happening in our families. For more information, visit www.aap.org
Ashley Cooley is a Health Promotion Specialist, Childbirth Educator, and Child Sleep Consultant with Citadel Sleep Consulting. She lives in Halifax, Nova Scotia with her husband and two toddler girls. She’s passionate about sharing her real life experiences and certified knowledge to help families sleep better.
Here are a few of our favorite helpers to meet the new guidelines.
Jonathan Adler Rock-n- Play Sleeper
Baby should be in the room, but not in the bed. This smartphone-enabled stylish sleeper will keep baby safe and feeling snoozy with soft, tranquil tunes, two hands-free rocking modes (for nap or night), and calming vibrations. If you are heading over the river and through the woods, this easily folds for comfortable soothing on the go to grandmother’s house.
$150, www.fisher-price.com
Bamboo Bubby by Baby Dreamtime
When brisk evenings come, it might seem tempting to add a light blanket (a no-no). Opt for these cozy sleepers instead to keep baby safe. For babies and toddlers with sensitive skin (baby eczema or dermatitis), the silky soft bamboo sleep sack is designed to stop damage caused by scratching. Made from hypo-allergenic and breathable 70% bamboo/30% organic cotton fabric, it has a TOG rating of 1-1.5, making it suitable for use in all of OC’s seasons.
$79, www.babydreamtime.com
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