Sleeping in the same bed as your baby is not safe for your baby. sleep under any circumstances, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) said Tuesday in the first update since 2016 of its safe sleep guidelines for babies.
“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 a belief that it is safe,” Rebecca Carlin, co-author of the guidelines and technical report, said in a statement. the AAP Task Force on Sudden Infant Death Syndrome and the AAP Committee on the Fetus and Newborn.
“The evidence is clear that (sleeping together) significantly increases a baby’s risk of injury or death,” said Carlin, assistant professor of pediatrics at Columbia University’s Irving Medical Center. “For this reason, the AAP cannot support bed-sharing under any circumstances.”
This is one of several recommendations the AAP has provided pediatricians to help stem the tide of infant death while sleeping. About 3,500 babies, many of whom are in socially disadvantaged communities, die annually in sleep-related deaths in the United States. United Statesaccording to the AAP.
“The rate of sudden unexpected infant deaths (SUID) among black and Native American/Alaska children was more than double and nearly triple, respectively, that of white babies (85 per 100,000 live births) in 2010-2013” , the AAP noted in a statement.
“We’ve made great strides in learning what keeps children safe while they sleep, but there’s still a lot of work to do,” Rachel Moon, lead author of the guidelines and professor of pediatrics at the University of Virginia, said in a statement.
Sleep in the same room, separate beds
While the AAP strongly advises against sleeping together, its updated guidelines say that babies should sleep in the same room with their parents for at least six months, on a separate sleeping surface and using a firm, flat surface.
Based on new Consumer Product Safety Commission regulations that will take effect this week [nos EUA], the only products that can be marketed for infant sleep include cribs, playpens and headboards. Headboard beds are small separate cribs that attach to the parent’s bed but allow babies to sleep alone without bedding. Parents should not use sleep products that are not specifically marketed for sleeping, the AAP said.
Other sleep environments can also put babies at risk. Resting with a baby on a couch, armchair or cushion and falling asleep increases the baby’s risk of death by 67%, the AAP noted. If the baby is premature, born with a low birth weight or is less than four months old, the risk of death from sleeping together on a bed, sofa or other location increases five to ten times, the academy said.
“An excellent way to test if a surface is too soft is to press your hand down and then lift it up.” If your hand leaves a pressure mark, it’s too soft,” said Alison Jacobson, CEO of First Candle, a national non-profit organization committed to eliminating SIDS and other sleep-related childhood deaths.
Less is more
Parents should always put babies to sleep alone on their backs on a flat, firm mattress covered with a comfortable, tight-fitting sheet, according to the AAP. Avoid all extras in the crib, including soft toys, blankets, pillows, soft bedding, sleep positioners or crib protectors, as babies can become trapped in such items and suffocate.
“Crib protectors have been linked to more than 100 infant deaths over the past 30 years,” the AAP states on its consumer website.
These products are often used by well-meaning parents who only want the best for their children and believe they are doing the right thing, said psychologist Carol Pollack-Nelson, a former CPSC employee who now studies how people use the products. of consumption.
“When they see their ‘peanut’ crying and having a hard time getting into the big crib, they think, ‘Well, I need to snuggle the crib. My baby just passed through the uterus.” So intuitively, that’s what makes sense,” said Pollack-Nelson.
But babies don’t need any of these padded products to be warm and comfortable, Jacobson said. “Instead of a sheet or blanket, put the baby in a cloth bag.”
In fact, putting too many clothes or blankets on a child, especially in a warm room, can be associated with an increased risk for SIDS, Jacobson said.
“Hats and any other head coverings should be removed before putting your baby to sleep,” he said, adding that babies only need one more layer than an adult would normally wear.
Since the crib slats are now set to fit together, the protectors are no longer needed, the AAP said. “Stores now sell mesh protectors and vertical crib liners. But even these can come loose and become a strangulation hazard. Babies can also get stuck between them and the crib mattress.”
Less than 10% slope allowed
The new CPSC regulation will ban all products marketed for infant sleep that have a slope greater than 10%. These include sloping sleep chairs — which are also called baby nests, lounge chairs or rockers, the AAP said. Some of the products may not be sold as sleep aids, but babies often fall asleep while using them.
Many of these products on the market have a tilt of up to 30%, which can be dangerous because babies’ heads fall forward during sleep, APP said. This chin-to-chest position can restrict the airway, causing choking. Babies can also slip out of the devices and become trapped underneath, the AAP warned.
The Baby Safe Sleep Act, passed last year [nos EUA], prohibits the manufacture and sale of inclined sleepers and crib protectors. Car seats, strollers, rockers and strollers can also obstruct a baby’s airway, the AAP said. So when the baby falls asleep on them—which is unavoidable—parents should move the child to lie on his back on a flat, firm surface.
In its new guidance, the AAP also cautions against using commercial devices that claim to reduce the risk of SIDS or other sleep-related problems, including wearable monitors.
In addition, home cardiorespiratory monitors — devices that monitor a baby’s heart rate and oxygen levels — should not be used as a way to reduce the risk of SIDS, because there is no evidence that they work, Jacobson said.
“Using products that claim to increase sleep safety can create a false sense of security” for parents that “can result in a reduction in baby’s safe sleep practices,” he concluded.
Source: CNN Brasil
