Safe Sleeping Research Paper

          Placing an infant to sleep on its back has been a universal prevention for SIDS and may be the largest contributing factor for the decline in SIDS cases. In the last two decades, the cases of infants who died from SIDS declined by more than 50 %, with less than seven infants per 10,000 infants that died from SID. (American 1)

Some parents of infants think co-sleeping is beneficial, however; experts do believe that this practice is very dangerous. Every parent has the decision to co-sleep (sharing a bed with your baby), its weather they do or not that counts. There are reasons parents decide for or against, for example; if you’re a heavy sleeper, you might accidently roll over and suffocate your child. You might not realize that something like could happen, but it can. “Most parents just figure it will be easier for them, it’s not like every parent of a newborn is going to spend hours re-searching reasons not to co-sleep” (lifescience)

For as long as we can remember we are always told to never sleep with your baby that you could suffocate them by rolling over on them or what not. In a study by Davies, he found that prior to the 1700's co-sleeping was a normal thing around the world. It was not until the 1800's when the western society moved away from co-sleeping to an independent sleeping arrangement claiming the child will be too attached and have security problems; you will never get the child to sleep in their own bed; the child will not learn independence; or, the child could suffocate in various ways. Well, I agree

Proceeding to the next step, comes side/stomach position. For this position, you will lay the baby on his/her stomach/side on either in your arms, lap, or your shoulder. Make sure that their arms are to their side. Usually doctors will tell you to lay them on their back to reduce the risk of SIDS, but since your newborn wants to feel like they are in the womb again, it is ok to lay them on their side/stomach. Just make sure that you turn them to their back once they fall asleep.

Infant co-sleeping is a highly controversial topic of debate in our society. There are many valid reasons as to why infant co-sleeping is an appropriate practice based upon many different things, some to include research, culture and personal opinion. And there are just as many reasons to recede that claim and support that co-sleeping is detrimental to the health and well-being of an infant. Before the following research, as outlined in this paper, my personal opinion was based on the fact that I practiced co-sleeping with my son many years ago, back when co-sleeping was not such an issue. I felt comfortable with co-sleeping and supported co-sleeping. The reasoning behind this could have been the age factor as a teen mother, my cultural beliefs and also the comfort of knowing my child was close and I could access him easily if needed. As I learned more about co-sleeping and began my work in the field of ECE, I was encouraged to support the “Back to Sleep” movement and to share the cons of co-sleeping with the families I worked with based upon the beliefs of my employer. The following articles will highlight the many pros and cons of infant co-sleeping

Although taboo in Western culture, co-sleeping is making a comeback. After the retraction of previous statements against co-sleeping, Dr. Richard Ferber, child sleep guru, has now sided with a family’s decision to share a bed with their infants. Although the American Society of Pediatrics warns that sleeping with your infant can increase the risk of sudden infant death syndrome, the exact cause of SIDS is still unknown. The emotional benefits of sharing a bed with your baby can be enormous and some would argue that engaging in co-sleeping strengthens the bond between parent and child.

There should be nothing else inside the crib except the infant. This includes no extra blankets, pillow, or any type of toy. The leading cause of death for infants between one month of age and one year of age is SIDS. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in 3,700 cases of SIDS deaths in the United States 2015. In those 3,700 cases, a significant number of those deaths occurred in childcare. High-risk SIDS cases occur between the ages for 2-4 months. The actual rate of SIDS in child care is more than doubled the expected rate. Childcare providers meaning family child care, childcare centers, and relative child care. Why is SIDS in child care on the rise? Childcare providers are less likely to know behaviors that increase the risk of SIDS due to poor education on Sudden Infant Death Syndrome risk reduction, supervising too many children and are worn-out. Childcare providers perform an essential service in our society. This is becoming a growing need for all families in this generation. Most families include two working parents, so more and more parents are enrolling infants in some type of childcare. Childcare providers need the most updated information concerning the care of children like SIDS awareness’ and risk reduction to help decrease the risk of SIDS while caring for an infant. Just by educating child care providers SIDS risk can decrease.

Parents should not add blankets, stuffed animals, or pillows to the bed. The AAP recommends in "The Changing Concept of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome: Diagnostic Coding Shifts, Controversies Regarding the Sleeping Environment, and New Variables to Consider in Reducing Risk" that infants “use sleep clothing with no other covering over the infant or infant sleep sacks…”(AAP, 2005) to keep them warm instead of blankets. This keeps infants from smothering their faces into the bedding. The AAP also recommends that infants do not share a bed with other siblings or parents. They should be placed in their own bassinet or crib for safe sleeping. This way the co-sleeper does not suffocate the child accidently. Infant’s mattresses should be firm. The softer the mattress is the more of a risk factor it becomes. These facts concerning bedding should be addressed with parents prior to discharge from hospitals. This factor should be addressed when first meeting the pediatrician. This way when purchasing the mattress it can be properly purchased.

When babies are allowed to sleep in a prone or facedown position and when they are heavily wrapped, they are put at higher risk of this happening and therefore, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome takes place much more frequently. According to Caldwell the safest way to place your baby when sleeping is side-lying (Caldwell, 1995). This is contraindicating to what our text book recommends, which recommend placing infants on their back to sleep. This also includes naps. This is the most important thing you can do to prevent SIDS. An easy way to remember this is to always put your baby "back to

One of the most controversial behaviours parents can do is adjust the babies sleeping environment. There have been multiple arguments on this topic; however, research has shown that a babies sleeping environment can impact their sleeping safety tremendously. Some safety precautions all care givers can do is: placing the baby on their back to sleep, keeping the crib clean and clear of any toys or pillows, don’t overheat the baby with clothes or blankets instead try a sleeping sack, and lastly allow the baby to sleep in the caregivers room for the first six months or until the infant is capable of rolling over on their own. Another way to help prevent SIDS is by using a pacifier. Strangely enough, pacifiers can reduce the risk of SIDS due to the fact that they help prevent a baby from going into a deep sleep. Though, caregivers need to take precaution when doing this if an infant is breast feeding as they should not be introduced to pacifiers until they are nursing well. Consequently, one of the easiest ways to prevent SIDS is to not ignore sicknesses, especially respiratory related issues. In the first year of an infant’s life something as simple as a cough or old can impact them greatly. By taking an infant to a clinic, doctor, or even the emergency room as soon as any signs of sickness strike could save their life. Ultimately, there is no guaranteed that these precautions will work and unfortunately SIDS does happen. Despite that, there are multiple ways for caregivers to cope with this

According to NBCNEWS.com, there are new policies to reduce the risk of SIDS. The American Academy of Pediatrics has changed their policies of trying to prevent SIDS. Pacifiers should be used at nap time and bedtime during the first year. Pacifiers should not be used during the first month of breastfeeding and they should not be forced on babies who do not want to use them. Babies should be placed in cribs in parent's bedrooms and should return to their cribs after nursing or being bottle fed. Babies should not be allowed to sleep in adult's beds. Babies should also be trained to sleep on their back and should not be allowed to sleep on their

It has been found that any sleep position besides supine (on the back) increases the chances of SIDS, whether it is on the stomach or on the side. (Oyen, 614) The rate of deaths from SIDS has dropped about 50 percent since 1994, this is when the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development and associated groups started the Back to Sleep campaign. A baby's risk of SIDS has been found to be 1.7 to 12.9 times higher if a baby sleeps on their stomach instead of their back. When a baby sleeps stomach-down, their more likely to overheat, have inconsistency in breathing, and rebreathe the air they have just exhaled, that lacks oxygen. Placing a baby to sleep on their side is a bad idea also, since babies placed on their side can easily end up on their stomach. By the time a baby is 6 months old they are able to roll themselves over, at this age their risk for SIDS has begun to drop. Though it is recommended to do your best to get them settled on their back, don't worry if the baby rolls

Many newborn babies practically live in sleepers after coming home from the hospital. Sleepers are a great choice for a gift if you are looking to buy for a boy or girl. Parents will do well having a bunch of different sleepers on hand since babies need changed a lot of times during the day. Newborn boy fleece sleepers are cozy little outfits that are perfect for little ones right out of the hospital. They are easy to get on and off, wash well, and can be bought in many different colors and styles.

The first risk I shall address is co-sleeping. This risk is associated with children from infancy to toddler age. Co-sleeping is another term for bed sharing; where the infant/toddler sleeps in the same bed as the parents. Co-sleeping has some benefits to the child (and mother) because the close approximation to the sleeping adult provides “infant well-being, ease and likelihood of breast-feeding, enhanced maternal-infant bonding, and constant infant supervision” (Connell-Carrick, 2006, pg 826). However co-sleeping can also be detrimental to the child because it “places children at risk emotionally and physically”

It’s important to make sure your baby isn’t too hot or too cold. If your baby gets too hot, he may be more at risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), also known as cot death. SIDS is uncommon in babies who are less than a month old and most common during their second month. Nearly 90 per cent of cases of SIDS happen in babies under six months old. But the risk reduces as your baby grows older, and very few cases of SIDS happen after a year.