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Each one has a unique parenting style — and it’s perfectly alright. But infant safety is a serious issue with little room for customization and compromise. Did you know that your infant’s sleep habits can become a matter of life and death? According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), each year, around 3,400 unexpected infant deaths occur in babies who are less than a year old (1). Surprised? It’s true!
Over the years, the Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) rate has drastically decreased due to the awareness of safe sleeping practices. Still, Accidental Suffocation and Strangulation in Bed (ASSB) continues unabated (2). However, helping your baby sleep safe can reduce the chances of sleep-related infant deaths. Here is what you should know about ensuring restful and safe sleep for your baby and you, especially when you’re room-sharing:
What Causes Injury And Unexpected Deaths In Infants During Sleep?
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The two leading causes of unexpected infant deaths are ASSB, wherein your baby could be choked by a pillow or an adult’s body, or SIDS, which doesn’t have a known cause yet. Some critical factors that increase the risk of SIDS are (3):
- Infants sleeping on their stomachs.
- Use of soft bedding for young infants.
- Overheating due to increased environmental temperature.
What Are The Effective Ways To Prevent SIDS?
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Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), also referred to as cot or crib death, is the unexpected and unclear cause of death of a baby who is less than a year old (4). The following guidelines can help prevent the risk of SIDS or other sleep-related causes of infant deaths:
1. Set Aside A Dedicated Sleep Space For Your Baby
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Share the room with your little one but avoid co-sleeping (5). Your baby doesn’t necessarily need a crib, but firm, flat surfaces like a playpen, bassinet, or a bedside sleeper can be placed close to your bed so that your baby is accessible and easily monitored. Ensure that the baby product meets the standards of the Customer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and has a Children’s Product Certificate (CPC) certification to ensure they comply with all safety rules.
Avoid laying your baby down on a couch or a chair, as they could slide off or suffocate between the cushions. Sleep products that incline more than 10 degrees or are heavily padded like baby rockers, nappers, or loungers can be dangerous for babies. They may restrict your baby’s airway and lead to deaths caused by strangulation, suffocation, or entrapment. For extra safety measures, it’s advisable to avoid using car seats, strollers, or infant slings as your baby’s regular sleep area (6).
2. Keep Your Baby’s Sleeping Environment Decluttered
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Keeping loose items in your baby’s sleeping area can prove to be catastrophic. You should keep comforters and blankets, pillows, sheets, crib bumpers, stuffed toys, sleep wedges, or clothes away from your baby’s reach. Also, your baby’s mattress should have a tightly fitted sheet. Leave the blanket out; instead, dress them in an extra layer of clothing or put them in a body-sized wearable blanket (sleep sack) (7).
3. Place Your Baby On Their Back
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Sleeping on their back decreases the risk of SIDS by 1.7 to 12.9 percent compared to sleeping on their side or stomach, which can lower the oxygen levels and obstruct the baby’s airway. Research indicates that putting babies to bed with a pacifier can reduce the hazard of SIDS by up to 90 percent. However, putting a pacifier back if it falls off during sleep or forcing them to take one if they dislike it can have counter effects (8).
Instead, researchers found that the protective effect of the pacifier was seen in babies who went to sleep with it and continued even after it fell out. You can also swaddle your baby on their back until they start rolling over between 2 to 4 months of age. If they roll onto their tummy during the night, you can leave them safely without flipping them on their back again (9).
4. Remove Your Baby From The Car Seat When You Aren’t Traveling
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While car seats are commonly used for sleeping, you could be surprised to learn that they are not meant for sleep. The angle of the car seat can block your baby’s airway and cause asphyxiation. So, when you stop traveling or aren’t around to monitor your baby, remove them from the car seat for better safety (10).
5. Practice Sharing Your Room, Not Your Bed
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The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and the CDC have long warned against the dangers of bed-sharing with the infant (11). The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends co-sharing your room with your baby for at least six months of their life, if not a full year (12). Studies also show that breastfeeding can reduce the risk of SIDS (13). Room sharing is mutually beneficial for the mother and the baby. Here are the significant reasons why (14):
- It maintains a stable heart and breathing rate as babies are found to mimic their mothers’ heart rates as they sleep.
- SIDS usually occurs in the deeper stages of sleep, but when you move around and make slight noises, it keeps the baby in the lighter stages of sleep, thereby reducing the risks.
- When your baby is with you, you can immediately soothe them or attend to their needs.
Studies also point out that though room-sharing with your baby has numerous benefits, there’s a downside too: it can cause you to be sleep deprived. However, infancy won’t last forever, and you’ll soon be able to transition them to their room. It’s good to do it at your own pace and only if you are comfortable (15). Weigh all the risks and benefits before you make a move. Can you think of more baby room-sharing tips to add to this list? Do let us know in the comments section below!
