Laraeeb Abbasi

ISM- Period

DELZELL, JOHN E. JR, et al. "Sleeping Position: Change in Practice, Advice, and Opinion in

the Newborn Nursery." Journal of Family Practice, May 2001, p. 448. Academic

OneFile, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?p=AONE&sw=w&u=j084910009&v=2.1&id=GALE

%7CA75244772&it=r&asid=2ca78996e71a26de1cec04fa220bf309. Accessed 30 Mar.

2017.
Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) is a major cause of infant mortality and is associated with
prone sleeping position
In 1992 there were 79 hospitals in in Missouri with newborn nurseries, in 1999 that number had
decreased to 75
In 1992, 32% of nurseries used the prone position for sleep
The prone position is a position in which one lies flat with the chest down and the back up.
Anatomically, the dorsal side is up, and the ventral side of the body is down.
58% of the head nurses interviewed disagreed with the recommendations of the American
Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) in terms of sleep positons. This is largely due to the large amount
of nurses who recognized the AAPs recommendations at the time werent accurate
By the year 1999, all nurses interviewed in Missouri placed infants on their back or sides for
sleep. By this time, the rate of disagreement with the AAP recommendation had decreased, with
only 25% of respondents indicating they decreased
From 1992 to 1999, nurseries in Missouri changed from predominantly using prone and lateral
positioning to lateral and supine positioning for newborns
Some nurses still do not prefer to place infants on their backs and expressed willingness to place
babies prone.
Supine position is when the infant/patient is lying horizontally with the face and torso facing up
It is estimated that currently, in the United States, about 13 infants die unexpectedly every day,
normally, these deaths are caused by SIDS
Sudden Infant Death Syndrome when a visibly healthy baby dies in its sleep because of the
apparent spontaneous cessation of breathing.
Currently, the cause of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome is unknown, however, it is theorized that it
is associated with abnormalities in the portion of an infants brain that controls breathing and
arousal from sleep
Researchers have found the best protection from SIDS is placing the infant to sleep on their back
in the supine position
Infants born prematurely, or being born as part of a multiple birth (twins, triplets, etc.) have a
much greater risk of SIDS because the risk that their brains havent fully developed is more likely

This source very thoroughly analyzes the changes in medical professionals knowledge of Sudden Infant
Death Syndrome which is an extremely common disorder even in the United States which is such a
developed nation. It was interesting to see the various statistics and details concerning the syndrome.