Safe to Sleep

In 1992, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommended[a] that babies sleep on their backs or sides to reduce the risk of SIDS (a revised statement in 1996 retracted the side-sleeping option).

Thus, then Secretary of Health and Human Services Donna Shalala and Tipper Gore refocused the "Back to Sleep" campaign on minority babies.

[2] In 1985 Davies reported that in Hong Kong, where the common Chinese habit was for supine infant sleep position (face up), SIDS was a rare problem.

In both human infants and rats, arousal thresholds have been shown to be at higher levels in the electroencephalography (EEG) during slow-wave sleep.

Several precautions focused on controlling environmental factors can be taken to minimize the risk of SIDS and sleep-related suffocation events.

[2][28][30][31] Per the safe to sleep campaign, these preventive measures can be taken to decrease the rate of SIDS and sleep-related suffocation events:[2]