Providing your baby with a safe and comfortable sleeping position and environment is vital for the health of your baby.

Recommended sleeping position

According to the recommendation from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), healthy infants should sleep on their backs for the first year of life for safety. Infants who sleep on their backs are at a lower risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), a condition that affects approximately 4,000 infants yearly in the United States.

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The risk of SIDS is believed to be the highest within the first 6 months of life, so placing your infant on their back during this time is important for their safety.

Since these recommendations were made in 1992, there has been a noteworthy decrease in SIDS-related deaths. However, infant deaths caused by suffocation, entrapment and asphyxia have also been increasing.

On that note, it is best to speak with your pediatrician to see which sleep position is best for your baby based on factors such as medical history. At times, other sleeping positions may be suggested.

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Getting a safe sleep environment for your baby is equally as important as the position that they sleep in. Certain steps can be taken to ensure you are providing your infant with the safest sleeping environment possible, as well as reducing the risk of SIDS.

Other safety measures

Recommended safety measures include:

Place your baby on their back for sleeping and encourage overseen tummy time when they are not sleeping.
Offer your infant a pacifier when sleeping.
Place your baby on a firm mattress without any sort of bumper pads.
Cover your infant’s mattress with a fitted sheet.
Avoid any loose bedding, pillows, stuffed animals, comforters, bean bags, waterbeds, sofas or soft mattresses.
Avoid using blankets to cover your baby.
Avoid covering the baby’s head, instead use sleep clothing such as sleeper sacks or a one-piece sleeper outfit.
Ensure your crib is safety-approved.
Avoid the use of wedges and positioners.
Parents should avoid sleeping on same bed with their babies. Babies should have their separate beds even if it has to be in same room with parents.
Maintain a comfortable room temperature, avoiding drafts and overheating.
Never place your baby too close to air conditioning or heating vents.
Avoid exposing your baby to secondhand smoke.
If your baby is not sleeping in a crib all of the time, use a bassinet or portable crib and apply the same safety measures.
Avoid the use of SIDS reduction monitors or devices. The risk of SIDS may also be reduced by immunizing your baby as recommended and by breastfeeding.
Some mothers may choose to bed-share with their baby to promote prolonged breastfeeding, but bed-sharing is not generally recommended.

Source: http://www.healthdiary365.com/2018/05/31/which-sleep-position-is-best-for-baby/

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