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Do I put my baby on their back or front to sleep?

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Host: Do I put my baby on their back or front to sleep?

Dr. Ann Kellams: So this is another big issue. We recommend 100% back to sleep. It used to be that people were concerned about is my baby going to spit up or choke or aspirate on the back and that actually has not borne out in studies. So we recommend always having the baby sleep on the back. It dramatically reduces the risk of sudden infant death syndrome. So babies who sleep on their tummies are more prone to croup death or sudden infant death syndrome. In particular, the highest risk category are babies that have always slept on their back and then they are with somebody else who maybe doesn't know that, a caregiver or a grandparent who puts them on their tummy and they are not used to that, that's the highest risk situation. So parents, grandparents, babysitters, daycare providers anybody who is going to be caring for that baby needs to know about back to sleep.

Expert: Dr. Ann Kellams

Assistant Professor of Pediatrics

Dr. Ann Lenox Kellams, assistant professor of clinical pediatrics in the Division of General Pediatrics and medical director of the newborn nursery at the University of Virginia Children’s Hospital, is an expert in newborn care and breastfeeding. Kellams teaches pediatric clinical skills to students and residents and authored the Newborn Nursery Resident and Student Curriculum and Orientation Manual for UVA More »