Breastfeeding Tied to Big Reduction in Infant Deaths

• Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter
• August 2, 2023
• Full Page

Experts have long recommended breastfeeding for its many benefits for infants, but a new study puts a hard number on breast milk's lifesaving effects.

Breastfeeding is associated with a 33% reduction in infant deaths in the first year, according to the study of nearly 1...

Research Helps Uncover Causes of SIDS

• Amy Norton HealthDay Reporter
• May 25, 2023
• Full Page

Researchers have found another clue as to why some infants die suddenly in their sleep, and it's related to a faulty chemical receptor in the brainstem.

Experts said the findings provide another puzzle piece in understanding the root causes of sudden infant death syndro...

A Primer on Preventing Sudden Infant Deaths

• Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter
• April 1, 2023
• Full Page

Sleep-related infant deaths are one of the leading causes of non-natural infant deaths, but a pediatric expert offers advice for keeping babies safe when they're sleeping.

"Sleep position and sleep environment are very important factors to look at when thinking about inf...

Pandemic May Have Caused U.S. Spike in SIDS Deaths in Black Families

• Amy Norton HealthDay Reporter
• March 13, 2023
• Full Page

During the first year of the pandemic, the United States saw a spike in the number of Black infants who died suddenly -- worsening a longstanding disparity, a new government study finds.

The increase was seen in what's called sudden unexpected infant death, or SUID. It's...

Smoking in Pregnancy Greatly Raises Odds for SIDS in Newborns

• Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter
• January 30, 2023
• Full Page

Infants exposed to maternal smoking during pregnancy are more than five times more likely to die unexpectedly compared to babies of nonsmokers, a new study says.

"The message is simple. Smoking greatly elevates the risk of sudden unexpected in...

Siblings of Babies Who Died of SIDS May Also Face Higher Risk

• Alan Mozes HealthDay Reporter
• January 26, 2023
• Full Page

Researchers have long struggled to figure out what causes a seemingly healthy baby to die suddenly in the first year of life, with an array of possible genetic and environmental factors to choose from.

Now a large, Danish study has found that in families where one child ...

Infant Head-Shaping Pillows Are Useless and Dangerous to Baby, FDA Warns

• Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter
• November 4, 2022
• Full Page

Infant head-shaping pillows are not approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and should not be used, the agency warned Thursday.

The pillows can create an unsafe sleep environment for infants, potentially contributing to the risk of suffocation and death.

...

Declutter That Crib: 'Bare Is Best' for Baby's Safe Sleep

• By Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter
• September 18, 2022
• Full Page

When putting baby to bed, skip the cozy comforters, stuffed animals and pillows.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) says bare is best -- just a sheet. And, it urges, always put baby down for a rest in products specifically designed for their sleep, includ...

Updated Infant Sleep Guidelines: No Inclined Products, Bed-Sharing

• By Steven Reinberg HealthDay Reporter
• June 21, 2022
• Full Page

New infant sleep guidelines from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) stress that parents make sure their infants sleep alone on their back on