While overall infant mortality rates in the United States have declined significantly over the past two decades, a new study published in JAMA Pediatrics has raised concerns over an unsettling trend: a nearly 12 percent rise in sudden unexpected infant deaths (SUID) from 2020 to 2022, the New York Times reports.
The findings have prompted healthcare experts to call for renewed attention to safe sleep practices and public health strategies to protect infants.
SUID encompasses all sleep-related infant deaths, including sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), where no clear medical or environmental cause is found, and accidental suffocation.
Dr. Elizabeth Wolf, an associate professor of pediatrics at Children’s Hospital of Richmond at Virginia Commonwealth University and one of the study’s authors, described the findings as “pretty alarming.”
“The death of an infant from SIDS or SUID is unbelievably horrific,” Dr. Wolf said. “And we as a public health community need to do everything we can to try and reduce the risk factors as much as possible.”
While some risk factors, such as premature birth or illness, are beyond a parent’s control, others are preventable. These include:
- Safe sleep environments: Babies should be placed on their backs in a crib or bassinet with a firm mattress and no loose bedding or toys.
- Breastfeeding: Believed to offer protection against SIDS.
- Nicotine exposure: Avoiding smoking during pregnancy and after birth is crucial.
The study did not pinpoint specific reasons for the apparent rise in sleep-related deaths, but researchers have speculated that several factors may be involved:
- The impact of COVID-19 and other respiratory illnesses.
- Increased maternal opioid use.
- Social media’s influence in spreading unsafe sleep practices.
“It’s my prayer that this is just a blip that’s really tightly tied to the pandemic, and that it’ll come back down,” said Dr. Michael Goodstein, director of newborn services for WellSpan Health and a member of an American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) task force on SUID.
One growing concern is social media’s role in promoting potentially unsafe sleep practices. A 2021 study found that many Instagram posts featured babies sleeping in environments that did not meet AAP guidelines.
“It is not always easy for parents to determine whether products that are advertised to help babies sleep better are actually safe,” said Alicia McHatton, a clinical nurse at U.C. Davis Children’s Hospital in Sacramento.
She recommends checking the federal database saferproducts.gov for product safety information.
The AAP continues to update its recommendations on infant sleep safety:
- Babies should always be placed on their backs in a crib, bassinet, or portable play yard with a firm, flat mattress and a fitted sheet.
- Loose bedding, toys, and bumpers should be avoided to reduce the risk of suffocation.
- Although bed-sharing is common in many cultures, the AAP advises against it.
Experts acknowledge the challenges many families face in implementing safe sleep practices, particularly in a country like the US, where paid parental leave is not guaranteed.
Safe sleep practices should extend beyond nighttime, emphasized Gail Bagwell, a doctor of nursing practice at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio.
“Every caregiver of that child needs to know that,” she said. “I have personally known people who were practicing safe sleep with their babies at home, came back to work, and the first day back the babysitter called and said, ‘Your baby is heading to the hospital.’”
