These terms are not interchangeable. Clearly, these are not synonyms. Parents who have put infants to sleep on their stomach are not wrong, just following the best known information at the time. Until today, we did not have evidence that sleeping on the stomach was wrong. Now there is strong evidence that back positioning for sleep is healthier.
Information is critical.
For expectant parents, this means seeking out health care professionals who are informed about SIDS, risk factors, and the importance of changing sleep position for normal, healthy infants. Parents of infants must keep in mind that, until the cause is found, SIDS will not be totally wiped out just by changes in sleep position. Time will tell whether the U.S. will have the same reduction of infant mortality and SIDS mortality with the change in sleep position. What is clear is that the impact on other countries has been significant. SIDS rates from 1985 to 1994 show that SIDS rates are lower and infant mortality is comparably lower.