New U.S. SIDS recommendations call for newborns in parents' room for up to a year

TORONTO | New safe sleep recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) to protect against SIDS are “pretty much” in line with the Canadian Paediatric Society’s position, says the CPS’ Safe Sleep expert and past-president.The AAP last issued guidelines in 2011. The main change in the new SIDS and Other Sleep-Related Infant Deaths: Updated 2016 Recommendations for a Safe Infant Sleeping Environment, is the call for infants to stay in their parents' room for six months to a year if possible—but in their own crib or bassinet.“They do go further in their recommendations for length of sleeping in the parents’ room,” said Dr. Denis Leduc. “We have not done that, because in large part, the peak incidence of SIDS (is in the first half year). After six months, it is less frequent.“In a practical sense, if we can get beyond four months that’s pretty good. With most families, after six months, the baby has left the parents’ room.”According to the joint statement on safe sleep released in 2011 by the CPS and the Public Health Agency of Canada, SIDS can occur at any time during the first year of life but peaks between two and four months, with fewer SIDS deaths occurring after six months.The new U.S. statement also says to place the baby on his or her back on a firm surface and to avoid use of soft bedding, bumpers, blankets, pillows and soft toys. It also recommends breastfeeding but says to move the baby to a separate sleeping space afterward. These guidelines are all in line with the Canadian position.“Another area where they are more proactive is on their specific recommendation for pacifiers due to a protective effect against SIDS. We didn’t include that as a recommendation,” said Dr. Leduc. “We say that if a pacifier has been introduced that we recommend that it be continued.”Dr. Leduc points out that the AAP highlights the risk of taking the baby outside of the bedroom into other environments, such as a sofa or chair.“This may happen after six months,” he said. “You may say you are going to lie down and watch TV and then fall asleep. This is very unsafe. The sleep environment must be in the parents’ room or the baby’s own room, sleeping alone.“If the parent says they will be in the same bed, we say to not use a lot of bedding and to not have any smoking or drugs. We can’t say it is safe but at least we have mitigated some of the risk factors that add on to it.”

New U.S. SIDS recommendations call for newborns in parents' room for up to a year

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