Health & Parenting

Sweet Dreams, Baby

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But simply putting babies to sleep in the correct position can go a long way toward reducing SIDS, Malloy says. "Physicians can play an important role by passing that information on to parents when they see children for routine well-children visits," he says.

Experts do suggest a certain amount of time on their tummies while babies are awake and supervised, for developmental reasons and to help prevent flat spots on their heads, the study notes.

"It's always important to review current practices, and [a significant] impact has been made to the recommendation for positioning babies" with the task force's recommendations, says Richard J. Martin, MD, who reviewed the article for WebMD. "Community education and resources are key, particularly among day-care providers, clinics, and [minority] communities." Martin is director of the division of neonatology at Rainbow Babies' and Children's Hospital in Cleveland.

"For those parents who have already changed their infants' sleeping position to the back, they should know that they've clearly done the right thing," Martin says. "For those who haven't or who have ignored the message, they should pay attention to the suggestions from this latest report."