In addition, there are other steps people can take to protect sleeping infants from risks caused by improper bedding, shared bedding, smoking, and overheating.
Periodic surveys confirm that the practice does help protect infants during sleep.
While it is not entirely clear what causes the sudden, unexplained deaths, back sleeping is known to significantly reduce the number of infant deaths during sleep. Ahrens added that some parents express concern that placing a baby on his or her back will cause the child to choke if he or she should vomit. However, he said that studies show this does not seem to be a problem in reality. In addition, certain medical conditions do exist for which the stomach-lying position is appropriate, and parents should consult with their infant's doctor about any special concerns related to infant sleeping position. All rights reserved.