Parents Listen to Physicians about Baby’s Sleeping Position
Physician advice on laying a baby to sleep on its back makes a difference, according to a study published in the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine in December 2009. Many parents, however, aren’t hearing that from their physicians
Advice from a physician may be the greatest factor that gets parents to follow this recommendation, which has been found to reduce the rate of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).
However, researchers found that, between 2003 and 2007, only about 54 percent of study participants reported that a physician advised them to only put their babies to sleep on their backs.
A study from the Institute for Good Medicine at the Pennsylvania Medical Society revealed similar statistics. About 55 percent of Pennsylvania adults who responded to the survey didn’t know the correct way to lay a baby to sleep. The poll did not ask respondents if they have experience caring for a baby.
The findings reinforce the need for physicians to promote placing babies to sleep on their backs. You also can send your patients to the Institute for Good Medicine’s My Family Wellness website for more information.
Last Updated: 1/28/2010