Despite a 56 %
decrease in the national incidence of
sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) from 1.2 deaths per 1000 live births in 19921 to 0.53 death per 1000 live births in 2003,2 SIDS continues to be the leading cause of postneonatal mortality in the United States.3 The
decreased rate of SIDS is largely
attributed to the increased use of the supine sleep position after the introduction of the «Back to Sleep» campaign in 1994.4 - 7 More recently, it has been suggested that the
decrease in the SIDS rate has leveled off coincident with a plateau in the uptake of the supine sleep position.8 Although caretakers should continue to be encouraged to place infants on their backs to sleep, other potentially modifiable risk factors in the sleep environment should be examined to promote further decline in the rate of SIDS.