American Academy of Pediatrics offers new safe-sleeping guidelines for infants

The American Academy of Pediatrics released safe infant-sleeping practices, which advise parents to share a room with their baby until they are 1 year old, or at least 6 months old, to slash the risk of sudden infant death syndrome by as much as 50 percent.

Burke County resident Rebecca Buff told Channel 9 that she already follows the recommendation with her 8-month-old boy.

"It makes me feel safer for him being near me," Buff said.

But Channel 9 spoke to some young families who were surprised by the findings, which some believe could lead to less sleep for parents.

"I just loved having sleep, and I know our baby loved to sleep," said father Justin Smith. "But I couldn't imagine having the baby in the room up to a year, that seems like a long time to me."

Pediatrician Christoper Clapp reviews SIDS cases in Burke County and told Channel 9 that the new guideline is a good preventative measure for parents.

"They're more aware of noises the babies are making. They may hear sounds, or not hear sounds, or just be waking up more during the night to check on the babies. It may be the proximity to check back and forth," said Clapp.

The infant should sleep in a separate space from the parents, such as a crib, or bassinet, and not on a couch, armchair, or another soft surface.

The academy said parents who still plan to co-sleep should use a firm mattress and make sure pillows, sheets and blankets are removed from the bed.

Experts also said that if mothers think they may fall asleep while breastfeeding, it is safer to do so on a bed than on the couch.

About 3,500 infants die each year from sleep-related deaths, such as sudden infant death syndrome, ill-defined deaths and accidental suffocation and strangulation.

The academy said that while infants have the highest risk of SIDS from ages 1 to 4 months, new evidence shows that loose, soft bedding continues to be a threat to children 4 months and older.

Safe sleeping practices: 

• Place the baby on his or her back on a firm sleep surface such as a crib or bassinet with a tight-fitting sheet.
• Avoid use of soft bedding, including crib bumpers, blankets, pillows and soft toys. The crib should be bare.
• Share a bedroom with parents, but not the same sleeping surface, preferably until the baby turns 1 but at least for the first six months. Room-sharing decreases the risk of SIDS by as much as 50 percent.
• Avoid exposing the baby to smoke, alcohol and illicit drugs.

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