Kansas City,
05
April
2018
|
12:41 PM
America/Chicago

HealthDay: Babysitters, relatives often unaware of SIDS risk

"A lot of relatives and friends may not be aware that babies are safest on their backs. They may have raised children before we knew that this was safest."
Dr. Jeffrey D. Colvin, Children’s Mercy
By Robert Preidt

A baby's risk of death from being placed in an unsafe sleeping position or location is higher when they're under the care of a baby sitter, relative or friend, a new study found.

The finding shows the need for parents to educate anyone who cares for their infants about safe sleep practices and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). In the United States SIDS is the leading cause of death among babies between 1 month and 1 year of age, the researchers said.

They examined more than 10,000 infant deaths and found that 1,375 of them occurred when a parent was not present. In many of those cases, the babies had been placed in unsafe sleep positions, such as on their stomachs, or in unsafe locations, such as an adult bed or a couch.

The analysis of the deaths revealed that while nearly 73 percent of licensed child care providers had followed recommendations to place babies in a crib or bassinet, the rate was 49 percent among baby sitters, 29 percent among relatives, and 27 percent among friends.

 

Read the full article via HealthDay

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