American Academy of Pediatrics
Home
Parenting Corner
Children's Health Topics
Bookstore and Publications
Professional Education and Resources
Advocacy
Member Center
About AAP
 
News Room
Sitemap
Contact Us

Search: 








Consumer Product Safety Alert

Soft Bedding May Be Hazardous To Babies

To prevent infant deaths due to soft bedding, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development are revising their recommendations on safe bedding practices when putting infants down to sleep. Here are the revised recommendations to follow for infants under 12 months:


Soft Bedding

A Safe Sleeping Environment
For Your Baby

  

Safe Bedding Practices For Infants

  • Place baby on his/her back on a firm tight-fitting mattress in a crib that meets current safety standards.

  • Remove pillows, quilts, comforters, sheepskins, stuffed toys, and other soft products from the crib.

  • Consider using a sleeper or other sleep clothing as an alternative to blankets, with no other covering.

  • If using a blanket, put baby with feet at the foot of the crib. Tuck a thin blanket around the crib mattress, reaching only as far as the baby's chest.

  • Make sure your baby's head remains uncovered during sleep.

  • Do not place baby on a waterbed, sofa, soft mattress, pillow, or other soft surface to sleep.
  • Placing babies to sleep on their backs instead of their stomachs has been associated with a dramatic decrease in deaths from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). Babies have been found dead on their stomachs with their faces, noses, and mouths covered by soft bedding, such as pillows, quilts, comforters and sheepskins. However, some babies have been found dead with their heads covered by soft bedding even while sleeping on their backs.

    CPSC News Release: Recommendations Revised To
    Prevent Infant Deaths fromSoft Bedding
    (will launch new browser window - close to return to the AAP Web site)


    U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
    Web site: www.cpsc.gov
    1-800-638-2772
        American Academy of Pediatrics
    Web site: www.aap.org
        National Institute of Child Health
    and Human Development
    "Back to Sleep" Campaign
    1-800-505-CRIB






    ©  COPYRIGHT AMERICAN ACADEMY OF PEDIATRICS, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
    Site Map | Contact Us | Privacy Statement | About Us | Home
    American Academy of Pediatrics, 141 Northwest Point Blvd., Elk Grove Village, IL, 60007, 847-434-4000