Over the last 20 years, the number of parents sharing a bed with their infants has doubled.
SIDS
Family MattersBreast-Feeding
Bring Back the Binky? Study Finds Pacifiers Actually Boost Breast-Feeding
Is nipple confusion just a myth? Contrary to popular belief, restricting pacifier use results in lower rates of exclusive breast-feeding, according to research from one Oregon hospital.
Family MattersInfancy
‘Back to Sleep’: Why Are 2,500 U.S. Babies Still Dying of SIDS Each Year?
Putting babies on their back to sleep has dramatically reduced the number of SIDS deaths, but thousands of babies still die each year. A look at the key risk factors.
The Shaky Science of Shaken Baby Syndrome
Prosecuters have charged parents and caretakers with shaking infants to death. But how valid is that diagnosis, and how reliable is the evidence behind it?
Family MattersParenting
Controversial Posters of Babies with Knives Aim to Reduce Co-Sleeping Deaths
Babies and knives are not generally a good combination. But in the case of a Milwaukee ad campaign against co-sleeping, the startling juxtaposition of a snoozing infant nestled next to a butcher’s cleaver seems to have served its …
Family MattersInfancy
New Guidelines: How to Put Baby Safely to Bed
Sleeping like a baby is now more regimented than ever, in light of updated guidelines by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) about how best to put baby to bed to reduce the risk of SIDS, or sudden infant death syndrome.
Study: Breast-Feeding May Lower Babies’ SIDS Risk
The benefits of breast-feeding seem limitless. It’s been linked to improved brain development and better immunity in babies; less postpartum depression and lower cancer risk in mothers; and better mother-infant bonding. Now a new review of recent research offers another reason for new mothers to nurse: protection against sudden infant …
Family MattersPregnancy
Are Crib Bumpers a Nursery Necessity? CPSC Vets their Safety Record
For nine months of pregnancy, babies-to-be are cushioned in watery darkness. Once they’re sprung, few parents are eager for them to bang their noggins on hard crib rails, hence the indispensable crib bumper.
Family MattersParenting
Not All Babies Have Cribs; Help Those Without Get One
Searching for the perfect last-minute gift or a worthy effort deserving of some end-of-year giving? The New York City Health Department is trying to raise $25,000 to purchase 250 cribs for babies who don’t have them.
Family MattersParenting
Parents, Stop Using Infant Sleep Positioners; They’re Linked to 12 Deaths
You know those sleep positioners that are so great at keeping baby right where she’s supposed to be? Stop using them.
A possible explanation for SIDS?
Abnormal serotonin receptors, which may cause serotonin levels to dip dangerously and undermine a brain network responsible for regulating the body’s autonomic functions, could be a cause of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), according to new research published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. An estimated two out of
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