Have a nice walk with your baby

Did you take your baby for a walk today? Remember, getting out and about during the day with your little one encourages them to be more awake during the day than at night. If it's way too cold outside how about finding an indoor shopping mall or other space to stroll around.

Interesting research on Sudden Infant Death Syndrome

Medical researchers are beginning to suspect that babies who succumb to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) may have lower levels of serotonin in their brains.  Serotonin is a hormonal neurotransmitter linked to many of the body's functions, including the sleep cycle.  This lack of serotonin is thought to possibly hamper a sleeping baby's ability to wake up if their safety is threatened by lower levels of oxygen.  Research will continue in this area and much more needs to be done before it is fully understood, but this is a big step forward.

Future research may include seeing if there is a way to identify newborns with lower levels of serotonin.
The full article is available to read online until March 8, 2011, from the National Institute of Health.

The Latest on Cribs

The US government is banning the sale of cribs that have a side rail that moves up and down from June 2011 onwards. Hotels and child-care centers will be prohibited from using drop-sided cribs but given up to a year to replace them with fixed-sided models. 

The reason for this - Since 2000 drop-sided cribs have been linked to the deaths of at least 32 infants and toddlers and there have been more than 9 million drop-sided cribs recalled.  Safety issues have occurred in drop-sided cribs when they were not properly assembled or had malfunctioning hardware which allowed the rail to partially detach from the crib creating a "v-like" gap between the side rail and the mattress, where a little one could become trapped and suffocate or strangle.

What you can do: 

If you are purchasing a crib buy a fixed-sided model and remember to always make sure the crib has been approved by the Juvenile Products Manufacturer Association (JPMA) and conforms to the safety standards of the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).

If you already have a crib make sure it is correctly assembled, the side-rail is properly installed and the hardware in good shape. There should be no gaps more than 2 fingers wide between the mattress and the frame. You may decide not to ever lower your side-rail when getting your baby in and out.  I remember I had a drop-sided crib but didn't need to use that function.
 
If your crib has broken or missing hardware, if the side rail doesn't always function properly, or there are gaps between the mattress and frame, stop using it immediately.

Remember, when it comes to infant sleep: Safety First!

I also suggest you read the free publication: "Better Baby Sleep: Infant Sleep Safety," an excerpt from my book "Better Baby Sleep: A Handbook for Parents."

 Visit BetterBabySleep.com for more information.

A Happy Customer!

My sister-in-law in England has just had her first baby, and, while she may be biased,  is very pleased with the "Better Baby Sleep" book.  First time parents are the ones who need this guidance the most and I'm hoping my new little nephew learns to be a self-soothing sleeper!

Don't use baby "sleep positioners."

The FDA and the CPSC report that 12 infants between the ages of 1 month and 4 four months have died when they suffocated in sleep positioners or became trapped and suffocated between a sleep positioner and the side of a crib or bassinet. Most of the infants suffocated after rolling from a side to stomach position. In addition to the reported deaths, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has received dozens of reports of infants who were placed on their backs or sides in sleep positioners, only to be found later in potentially hazardous positions within or next to the sleep positioners.
Sleep positioners typically claim to do one or all of the following: aid in food digestion to ease colic or the symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD); and prevent flat head syndrome (plagiocephaly). In light of the new safety data, FDA believes any benefit from using these devices to ease GERD or prevent plagiocephaly is outweighed by the risk of suffocation.

Baby Safety Month

September is Baby Safety Month: www.babysafetymonth.org