CDC

CDC Finds Unsafe Bedding Remains a Leading Cause of Unexpected Infant Deaths

Thousands of babies under age 1 are dying of preventable suffocation by stuffed animals, crib bumpers, blankets and other soft bedding in cribs

Baby's crib
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A majority of unexpected deaths among young babies still involve soft bedding, despite decades of safe sleep messaging targeting new parents, a study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found.

The research, published Tuesday in the journal Pediatrics, finds that blankets, pillows, crib bumpers, stuffed animals and sleep surfaces other than cribs remain leading causes of accidental suffocation among babies 4 months old and younger, NBC News reports.

The study analyzed data from 4,929 cases of sudden unexpected infant death, or SUID, from 2011 to 2017. Soft bedding was associated with 72% of the cases. Very young infants are unable to move away from suffocation hazards that impair their ability to breathe.

Read the full story on NBCNews.com

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