About AAP Policy Makers & Scientific Limitations

Sudden Infant Death (SIDS) rates have decreased since the popularization of back sleeping.  However, the Back-to-Sleep Campaign has reached a plateau in further reducing infant sleep-related deaths. In particular, safe sleep policy makers  not address the infant whose parents followed all of the American Academy of Pediatric (AAP) guidelines, who rolls prone and dies face down on their fiberfill crib mattress or play yard pad.  This is where the AAP guidelines fall short.  SafeSleep® is proud to be an organization that challenged these guidelines and influenced change to the 2016 Safe Sleep Technical Report that now recognizes air permeable sleeping surfaces as a preferable alternative for the infant who rolls prone during sleep. 

About the American Academy of Pediatrics’ (AAP) Safe Sleep Task Force

The AAP, including the Safe Sleep Task Force, does not endorse, certify, or recommend specific products. 

There are NO products on the market that cure or prevent SIDS.  Be cautious about products that claim they do. There are no crib mattresses that have FDA approval.  Even if a crib mattress is considered a “medical device,” a crib mattress is considered a “Class 1″ medical device. Class 1 medical devices are not eligible for “FDA approval.”

The AAP safe sleep policies are based heavily on retrospective analysis such as infant death scene investigations which can be flawed.  Actual scientific testing is not conducted to prove SIDS theories because unethical testing would be required.

These scientific limitations often result in policies not supported by scientific studies.   For example, it is recommended that infants wear wearable blanket sleepers instead of using a loose blanket in the crib.  No scientific studies exist to conclusively show if a wearable blanket will prevent SIDS deaths.  However, many death scene investigations revealed that infants who died compared to infants in a similar setting who did not, had loose blankets in their cribs, suggesting they are an increased risk for SIDS.  The same goes for back sleeping.  No gold-standard scientific studies have been conducted to show if an infant is at increased risk of dying if on their tummy. However, retrospective data shows infants who were on their back were much less likely to die during sleep, suggesting back sleep reduces the risk for SIDS.

Deaths of infants placed on their backs and found face down on firm fiberfill crib mattresses and pads continue to occur because nothing prevents these infants from rolling.