The incidence of SIDS has been greatly reduced
since the “Back to Sleep” public health
campaign was initiated in 1994, but 25% of
infants continue to sleep in nonsupine positions
after hospital discharge, placing them at
risk for SIDS.2,3 The risk of SIDS is highest
in full-term infants between 3 and 4 months
of age and slightly longer in preterm infants.4
Diligence is necessary to obtain full compliance
with the supine sleep position and save
infants from untimely deaths within their first
year of life.
Preterm infants are at a greater risk of
SIDS; their risk is 4 times that of full-term
infants.5 The risk of preterm infants dying of
SIDS is 1.23 per 1000 for infants 33 weeks or
younger at birth as compared with 0.788 per
1000 for infants 33 to 36 weeks’ gestational
age and 0.37 per 1000 for infants born at
37 to 42 weeks’ gestation.4 Preterm infants
remain at increased risk for SIDS, and special
considerations to transition these infants to
the supine position before hospital discharge
should be a priority.