The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP, for its acronym in English) on Tuesday updated its guidelines for babies to sleep safely and indicated, among other points, that co-sleeping is under no circumstances safe for newborns.
Approximately 3,500 babies die in the United States each year from causes related to safe sleep, including sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), accidental suffocation and deaths from unknown causes, according to data from the Centers for the Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The academy recommends a safe environment to reduce the risk of sleep-related deaths.
This includes sleeping in a supine (face up) position, on a firm, non-inclined surface, and in an area free of soft objects and/or loose bedding;
and also prevent the baby from getting too hot.
Since 2016 the guidelines have not been updated.
In the changes that were incorporated this Tuesday, information is added "to help parents, doctors and non-medical clinical personnel to evaluate the risk of specific situations of the so-called co-sleeping," the document indicates.
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Parents should not use products to put their babies to sleep that are not specifically marketed for that use, says the latest update to the American Association of Pediatrics guidelines. FluxFactory / Getty Images
Co-sleeping is a practice in which babies or children sleep on the same surface as caregivers.
AAP experts
recommend sharing a room with the baby but not a bed
.
"We know that many parents choose to share a bed with a child, for example, perhaps to help with breastfeeding or because of a cultural preference or belief that it is safe," said Dr. Rebecca Carlin, a co-author of the guidelines, in a statement to CNN.
However, "the evidence is clear that [co-sleeping]
significantly increases the risk of injury or death to the infant
," said Carlin, who is a professor of pediatrics at Columbia University Irving Medical Center.
"For that reason, the AAP cannot support co-sleeping under any circumstances," she noted.
The guideline has
additional recommendations to reduce the risk
of SIDS include breastfeeding;
prevent the baby from being exposed to nicotine, alcohol, marijuana, opioids, and drugs;
that you receive routine immunizations or vaccinations;
and pacifier use.
Experts indicate that it is not a finished guide, and that it will continue to evolve.
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"We've made great strides in learning what keeps babies safe during sleep, but there's still a lot of work to be done," Dr. Rachel Moon, the lead author of the guidelines and a professor of pediatrics at the University of New York, said in a statement. of Virginia.
Where to put babies to bed
While the AAP advises against co-sleeping, its updated guidelines say that infants should sleep in the same room as their parents or caregivers for at least six months, on a firm, flat surface, and separate from the main bed.
Parents should always put babies
to sleep alone on their backs
on a flat, firm mattress, covered with a fitted sheet, they say.
"A great way to test if a surface is too soft is to press down on your hand and then lift it up. If your hand leaves a mark, it's too soft," Alison Jacobson, director of First Candle, a national organization, told CNN. nonprofit committed to eliminating SIDS and other childhood deaths through education.
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Babies should not sleep on surfaces or spaces that have not been specifically designed and marketed for that, experts say.
The only products that can be marketed for baby sleep include
cribs, bassinets, play yards and night beds
, according to new Consumer Product Safety Commission regulations that take effect this week.
Night beds are small separate cribs or bassinets that attach to the parent's or caregiver's bed, but allow babies to sleep separately without bedding.
Avoiding all extras in the crib, including stuffed toys, blankets, pillows, soft bedding, sleep positioners, or bumper pads, is also recommended, as babies can get caught in such items and suffocate.
Some sleeping environments can also put babies at risk.
Lounging with a baby
on a sofa, chair or cushion and falling asleep
increases the
risk of infant death by 67%
, says APP.
And if the baby is premature, born with a low birth weight or is less than 4 months old, the risk of death while sleeping on a bed, sofa or other place increases 5 to 10 times.
New CPSC regulations will also ban all products marketed for infant sleep that
have more than a 10% incline
.
Those include inclined beds and sleep positioners (which are also called baby nests), springs, pods, loungers, and rocking chairs.
These products typically have a 30% incline, the AAP says, which is risky because when babies fall asleep they tend to drop their heads forward.
The risk of crib bumpers and hats
"More than 100 infant deaths over the last 30 years have been linked to the use of crib bumpers," the AAP states on its consumer website.
These products are typically used by well-meaning parents, who only want the best for their children and believe they're doing the right thing, psychologist Carol Pollack-Nelson, a former CPSC staffer who now studies how people use drugs, told CNN. consumer products.
But babies don't need any of those quilted products to stay warm and comfortable, Jacobson said.
"Instead of a sheet or blanket, place the baby in a
swaddle sack
or portable blanket," he noted.
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Too many clothes or blankets for a baby, especially in a warm room, may be associated with an increased risk of SIDS, she said.
"Hats and any other head coverings should be removed before putting your baby to bed," she added.
In its guidance, the AAP also warns
against the use of commercial devices that claim to reduce the risk of SIDS
or other sleep-related problems, including portable monitors.
Also, don't use home cardiorespiratory monitors -- devices that monitor heart rate and oxygen levels -- because there's no evidence they work, she said.