Contributes to about 1 in 8 sudden infant deaths.
By The American Bazaar Staff
WASHINGTON, DC: Sofas and couches can be quite deadly for infants, according to a new study published in the journal Pediatrics.
Many cases of so-called crib death, about one in eight, occur among infants who have been placed on sofas, researchers reported on Monday, reported The New York Times.
Dr. Jeffrey Colvin, a pediatrician at Children’s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City, Mo., and his colleagues analyzed data on 7,934 sudden infant deaths in 24 states, comparing those that occurred on sofas with those in cribs, bassinets or beds.
Previous research had shown that couches were particularly hazardous for infants. The new analysis tried to identify factors significant in these deaths, said the Times.
“It’s not only one risk that’s higher relative to other sleep environments,†said Barbara Ostfeld, a professor of pediatrics at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School who was not involved in the new study. “It’s multiple risks.â€
Nearly three-quarters of the deaths occurred among infants age three months or younger, the researchers found.
Pediatricians have long advised putting infants to sleep only on their backs, alone and on a firm, flat surface without a pillow. The new study found parents were more likely to lay their infants face down on a sofa than, for instance, face down in a crib.
Colvin said infants “need to sleep alone, on their backs and in a crib, and it doesn’t matter if it’s for a nap or overnight. And it doesn’t matter if the parent is awake or asleep.â€