I had younger siblings born through the 1990s and thus had the opportunity to watch as the Safe To Sleep program emerged in 1994 and as the medical recommendations for the safest sleep for babies shifted. My first child was born in 2001, and the advice my doctors gave then was a bit different from what I was told as my subsequent children were born.
In science, particularly medicine and parenting, best practices can evolve quickly, and parents need the most current information. Cutting off the flow of information, and this study of child safety, could put an entire generation of babies in danger.
Back To Sleep
When my brother was born in 1990, the common advice was to put newborns to sleep on their bellies. That way, it was understood that they wouldn’t choke on it if they spit up in their sleep.
By 1992, the advice had shifted. Instead, babies should sleep on their backs or sides, because babies on their tummies are at higher risk for Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, or SIDS. A timeline shared by the University at Buffalo places 1996 as the point when the American Academy of Pediatrics began to say that babies were safest when sleeping on their backs.
Back To Sleep has expanded, though, into the Safe To Sleep Campaign, which offers many more guidelines than merely sleep position to protect our babies when they sleep.
They advise that breastmilk helps reduce the risk of SIDS, and that babies should sleep on a firm surface, with no stuffed animals, pillows, crib bumpers, or other items in the crib. (When my oldest was born in 2001, I was advised to use a crib bumper so the baby wouldn’t get a foot or arm caught between crib rails, again demonstrating how quickly this advice can shift.)
The campaign has released training videos, worked with churches and faith communities, and collaborated with hospitals to ensure that parents have the latest and best information to protect their babies.
Not All New Parents Are Getting The Message, Though
Recent surveys show that Gen Z parents are less aware of some of these safety guidelines than recent generations.
According to What To Expect, Gen Z moms are less likely to know that snug-fitting pajamas are essential and that putting babies down on their backs to sleep is vital. Furthermore, they say everyone is confused about whether using a hand-me-down crib is safe.
In fact, while the Back To Sleep/Safe To Sleep campaign decreased infant deaths, that number has increased slightly again.
There seems to be a need for a different kind of shift: a shift in how the messaging is disseminated to ensure that it reaches the youngest parents and that all parents get the message about crib safety.
Instead, the federal government is ending the program altogether.
The Biological Factor In SIDS
Notably, some of the most recent research has uncovered that there may be a biological or genetic basis for SIDS.
Just this past January, a study was released with findings about how babies lost to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome were found to have higher concentrations of certain biomarkers, which could lead to testing that could eventually predict which babies are at higher risk for SIDS.
However, this research is still in its (no pun intended) infancy, and cuts to research funding could stall it, leaving more babies at higher risk.
What Should Parents Do?
You can still access the Safe To Sleep advice on the official National Institutes of Health website. It’s unclear whether this site will be officially archived, left live, or taken down.
The current advice to parents includes the following:
- Place babies on their backs for sleep
- Feed the baby breastmilk
- Place the baby on a firm surface for sleep
- Share a room but not a bed
- Keep the baby’s sleep area clear of toys and other objects
- Keep the baby’s face and head uncovered during sleep
If this information is removed, there will always be parenting sites, doctors’ recommendations, archived (officially or otherwise) data, and print material, including books and magazines.
However, since best practices can change quickly, parents should always make sure they’re getting their sleep suggestions from reliable, valid, and recent sources.
Check dates on print material, websites, and archives. Make sure the sources are legitimate and citing researchers or medical advice, not opinions or guesses. Follow up with your pediatrician and ask them about the most recent research and advice.