Sids Campaign Is Saving Lives

It’s simple, low-tech advice, but San Francisco health officials say a campaign advocating that babies sleep on their backs has led to a dramatic drop locally in cases of sudden infant death syndrome.

The number of SIDS deaths seemingly healthy babies who inexplicably die in their sleep - has declined in San Francisco from 25 in 1992 to one case this year, said Medical Examiner Boyd Stephens, a member of a statewide SIDS advisory committee. Stephens said it was too early to draw conclusions, but he believes the numbers prove that sleeping position plays a role in preventing SIDS.

“It’s a little early to say we’ve reached this goal,” he said. “But SIDS seems to be going down. The majority of children we see dying are on their stomachs.”

Researchers believe the syndrome may be related to a newborn’s immature or improperly developed nervous system, which leaves babies unable to detect the carbon dioxide that accumulates when they exhale. Placing such babies on their stomachs may be deadly because the infants have no way to escape the buildup, researchers believe.

SIDS experts say being exposed to second-hand smoke, being dressed or swaddled too warmly or sleeping on a soft surface can also increase the risk of SIDS.