The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) refreshes its recommendations about every six years to keep babies safe from sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), suffocation, and strangulation risks.
The latest update, as of June 21, 2022, emphasizes important safe sleep guidelines that I'm excited to share with you. Firstly, The AAP suggests that parents and infants up to 6 months old, sleep in the same room, but in separate sleep spaces. Infants up to 1 year old should always sleep on their backs and on a flat surface. Do not place anything else in an infants sleep area such as bumpers, blankets, pillows or stuffed animals until your baby reaches 1 year of age. Avoid inclined surfaces and very soft, plush surfaces. Bed-sharing isn't advised, as studies show that it significantly heightens the risk of infant injury or worse.
Some highlights from the guidelines include:
- Avoiding the routine use of sitting devices such as strollers, car seats, infant slings and infant carriers for overnight sleep, especially for infants under 4 months.
- Breastfeeding reduces the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) and is recommended exclusively for the first six months of age, with the continued use of human milk up until 1 year of age.
- Do not expose your baby to nicotine, alcohol, or illicit drugs.
- Ensure your little one gets their regular immunizations.
- Pacifiers can help reduce the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS)
- Swaddling is recommended until your baby starts showing signs of rolling over.
The AAP also endorsed the Safe Sleep for Babies Act which started to eliminate potentially unsafe baby sleep products at a federal level such as inclined sleepers, in-bed sleepers, loungers, and travel/compact sleepers by mid-2022.
The AAP recently included a statement stating that they do not currently recommend the use of weighted sleepwear despite a complete lack of clinical evidence. Smooch stands by the efficacy and safety of weighted sleepwear based the hundreds of thousands of babies across the U.S who have had success using weighted sleep products to aid in better sleep. Check out the full AAP guidelines for more details.
Here's a quick summary of AAP's key points:
- Back sleeping on a flat surface is best (up to 1 year).
- Room-sharing is recommended (up to 1 year).
- Avoid bed-sharing and soft surfaces.
- Swaddle your baby until he or she starts showing signs of wanting to roll over.
- Sitting devices aren’t safe for sleep
