In the mid-2000's, I had all my children in a row. The rules on sleeping were clear. Nothing in the crib other than a baby, wrapped like a burrito in her blanket, or in a sleep positioner if she had GERD. Other than side bumpers, nothing else was needed and should be considered dangerous. Pacifiers were an option, usually for colicky children.
Now even that has changed. Side bumpers are out. Pacifiers are most definitely in. We used crib bumpers (as almost everyone still does) in case our babies bumped against the side of the crib and hurt themselves (we always cut the strings off so they wouldn't be choking hazards).
However, according to a report on Health.com, they really don't serve that purpose at all -- especially with young infants who can't even move unless assisted. They are more decorative accents than safety measures and could cause more harm than good.
In a report from Health.com, The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) issued these new guidelines recently, in an effort to stem the biggest cause of death in children under the age of 1 year according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention -- Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).
According to the report, the AAP discourages anything other than the baby, wrapped in a blanket, in the crib. No soft toys, no pillows, stabilizers or bumpers -- just a warm and comfortable baby. While young babies don't need any amusement or stimulation, mobiles secured to the ceiling above the crib can provide entertainment to those a bit older.
Pacifiers are also recommended for babies at bedtime although many parents don't like them as weaning the child off them when older can be really difficult. However, pacifiers have shown to also decrease the risk of SIDS, as has breastfeeding and maintaining a non-smoking home.
From EmpowHER's SIDS page, other risk factors for Sudden Infant Death Syndrome include:
Infant's age: less than 6 months old
Low birth weight
Fetal growth retardation
History of SIDS death in a sibling
History of an acute life-threatening event
Previous incident of unexplained severe apnea (when breathing is repeatedly interrupted) requiring resuscitation
Sleeping on the stomach or side rather than back
Other risk factors are more general and include:
Mother's age: younger than 20 during first pregnancy
Black, Native American, and Alaskan Native families
Poverty may play a role
Sex: male
Smoking during pregnancy or in a house where the baby is sleeping
Alcohol, opiate, or cocaine use during pregnancy
History of anemia or a urinary tract infection while pregnant
No or late prenatal care
Premature birth
Recent infection and/or fever
Cold weather in late fall or winter
Overheating
Low socioeconomic status or low level of education
No pacifier use at bed time
Parents who still use bumpers (and that's the vast majority) should reconsider, and reconsider the use of pacifiers. A plan to wean by 1 year or less should help with baby's almost inevitable addiction to the much loved paci! Unfortunately, there is no way to guarantee the prevention of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, but by using the guidelines we have, we can limit the potential risks of something every new parent dreads.
SOURCES:
EmpowHER.com. Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. Web. Nov 23, 2011. https://www.empowher.com/media/reference/sudden-infant-death-syndrome-sids
Health.com. Get Rid of Bumpers, Stuffed Animals in Baby’s Crib. Web. Nov 23. 2011 http://news.health.com/2011/11/22/get-rid-of-bumpers-stuffed-animals-in-...
For more information on the SIDS policy statements from the AAP, click here: http://aappolicy.aappublications.org/cgi/content/full/pediatrics;116/5/1245
Reviewed November 25, 2011
by Michele Blacksberg RN
Edited by Jody Smith