Newborns who sleep in the same bed as their parents are five times more likely to die suddenly than those who sleep in a separate crib, according to a new study published in a British medical journal. The study, which looked at 1,472 cases of sudden infant death syndrome in the United Kingdom, reinforces a recommendation that the American Academy of Pediatrics has made for the past 20 years that infants are safest sleeping in their own bed.
Published in the BMJ Open, the study is notable because it looked at babies under three months old thought to be at low risk of SIDS because their parents did not engage in such risky behaviors as smoking, drinking or doing drugs. The researchers concluded that 81 percent of SIDS deaths among babies under three months whose parents did not exhibit such behaviors could be avoided if the baby sleeps separately.
SIDS deaths declined when the AAP made its initial recommendation in 1992. Over the years the doctors group has expanded its recommendations to include creating a safe sleep environment for babies. That includes putting the baby to sleep on his back on a firm mattress with a fitted sheet and without blankets, crib bumpers or stuffed animals. Room sharing without bed sharing can also help during the first few months.
Fortunately, cribs have gotten safer in the past two years since the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission banned the sale and resale of drop-side models, which have been responsible for many deaths by entrapment. All of the cribs in Consumer Reports crib tests have fixed sides. We test cribs for compliance to safety regulations as well as slat strength, the quality of construction and ease of assembly. Our eight top crib picks range in price from the $120 Ikea Sundvik to the $900 Land of Nod Low Rise, which is our top-rated model.