The nearly two-decades-long national "back to sleep" campaign that promotes infant safe sleep is credited with reducing the rate of sudden infant death syndrome in the United States.

However, the rate of sudden unexpected infant deaths (SUIDs) due to unsafe sleep habits has continued to climb. SUIDs currently accounts for 12 infant deaths per day in the United States.

In May 2011, the University of Michigan’s C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital National Poll on Children’s Health asked parents of children up to 3 years old about the sleep settings and positions for their children during infancy and their beliefs about safe sleep positions for infants.

The study found that 89% of parents believe that placing an infant on his back in a crib is a safe sleep position. That’s the recommended position. However, 40% of parents believe that it is safe for an infant to sleep in the same bed as another person, which is not recommended. A similar proportion of parents—about 40%—report that they have “often” or “sometimes” fallen asleep with their infants.

“The recent rise in SUIDs led us to ask parents about their beliefs and practices, including habits such as falling asleep with infants and sharing the same bed,” says Lisa Markman, MD, assistant professor and associate director of the Child Protection Team at C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital. “Our results indicate that large subgroups of parents are placing infants in sleep positions that put them at risk for suffocation or smothering.”

“The safe sleep message is especially important during the upcoming holiday season because of the potential for travel,” says Bethany Mohr, MD, assistant professor and medical director of the Child Protection Team. “Caregivers need to be aware that babies must always sleep in a safe setting. Travel to relatives’ homes and hotels opens up the potential for babies to sleep in unsafe settings and increases the risk of death due to unsafe sleep.”

In order to decrease risks due to unsafe sleep:
• Babies should always sleep in their own space, in a crib or bassinette with a firm mattress and tight fitting sheet.
• There should be nothing in a baby’s sleep space, other than the baby with a thin blanket or sleep sack.
• Caregivers should not fall asleep while holding their babies.