U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission American Academy of Pediatrics National Institute of Child Health and
Web site: www.cpsc.gov
Web site: www.aap.org Human Development
1-800-638-2772
“Back to Sleep” Campaign
1-800-505-CRIB
Consumer Product Safety Alert
FROM THE U.S. CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION, WASHINGTON, D.C. 20207
Soft Bedding May Be Hazardous To Babies
To prevent infant deaths due to soft bedding, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, the
American Academy of Pediatrics, and the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
are revising their recommendations on safe bedding practices when putting infants down to sleep.
Here are the revised recommendations to follow for infants under 12 months:
Placing babies to sleep on their backs instead of their stomachs has been associated with a
dramatic decrease in deaths from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). Babies have been found dead
on their stomachs with their faces, noses, and mouths covered by soft bedding, such as pillows, quilts,
comforters and sheepskins. However, some babies have been found dead with their heads covered by
soft bedding even while sleeping on their backs.
Safe Bedding Practices
For Infants
• Place baby on his/her back on a firm
tight-fitting mattress in a crib that
meets current safety standards.
• Remove pillows, quilts, comforters,
sheepskins, pillow-like stuffed toys,
and other soft products from the crib.
• Consider using a sleeper or other sleep
clothing as an alternative to blankets,
with no other covering.
• If using a blanket, put baby with feet at
the foot of the crib. Tuck a thin blanket
around the crib mattress, reaching only
as far as t