CBS News reported on its website that a new report from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has found that infant sleep positioners “have caused 13 suffocation deaths in young infants since 1997.” As the story noted, “All 13 reported deaths tied to the devices occurred in children younger than 4-months-old, nine of whom were placed on their sides to sleep. Many of the children were found lying on their stomachs, unresponsive by caregivers.”
The New York Times “Well” blog reported that “makers of the devices claim that by keeping infants in a specific position as they sleep, they can prevent several conditions, including acid reflux and flat head syndrome, a deformation caused by pressure on one part of the skull.” However, “the devices have never been shown in studies to prevent SIDS, and they may actually raise the likelihood of sudden infant death, officials say. One of the leading risk factors for sudden infant death is placing a baby on his or her stomach at bedtime, and health officials have routinely warned parents to lay babies on their backs.”
HealthDay also covered this story.
From the American Association for Justice news release.
