title: SIDS prevention: 3000 lives saved but we can do better.
abstract: Mortality from sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) has decreased substantially from the late 1980s. This has been attributed to the change in infant sleep position initially from prone (front) to side and then to predominantly supine (back). We calculate that this has saved over 3000 lives. However, we argue that we could save more infant lives, if more focus was given to the risks observed from parents sleeping in the same bed as their babies.
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatrics, University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland 1142, New Zealand. e.mitchell@auckland.ac.nz
authors.forename: Edwin A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Mitchell
authors.forename: Peter S
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Blair
mesh_terms: D001513:Beds; D001942:Breast Feeding; D006266:Health Education; D006293:Health Promotion; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D009520:New Zealand / Q000453:epidemiology; D012307:Risk Factors; D012890:Sleep; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects; D000074606:Smoking Prevention; D013398:Sudden Infant Death / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D016683:Supine Position