(Reuters Health) - Infant deaths attributed to crib bumpers may be increasing despite media coverage of the risks and industry regulation, according to a new analysis. 
 
 Three times as many children died in crib bumper-related deaths between 2006 and 2012 as in the three previous seven-year time periods, researchers report in The Journal of Pediatrics. 
 
 "I don’t know if it's that people are more aware and they're reporting more, but it could be an actual increase," said senior author Dr. Bradley Thach, of Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri. 
 
 Crib bumpers are pillow-like walls installed around the inside of cribs to protect babies from bumping into hard bars or getting limbs caught. However, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) says there is no proof that bumpers work, but they do pose a risk of suffocation, strangulation or entrapment. 
 
 For the new study, Thach and his colleagues analyzed data from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) on bumper-related deaths, injuries and accidents. 
 
 They identified 48 deaths by suffocation related to crib bumpers between 1985 and 2012. On average, infants were about five months old when they died, but ages ranged from one to 22 months. 
 
 "They get their face pressed into the bumper and then they don’t get adequate oxygen," Thach said. 
 
 About 67 percent of the deaths were caused by the bumpers. The other deaths were caused by infants being wedged between bumpers and other objects, like pillows and other children. 
 
 There were an average of eight deaths for each seven year-period starting in 1985, but that increased to 23 deaths between 2006 and 2012. 
 
 The researchers can't say why deaths increased. It could be that states and doctors are reporting more of the deaths, or more infants are dying, they write. 
 
 It's possible that even more deaths are related to crib bumpers. When the researchers included crib-bumper data from the National Center for the Review and Prevention of Child Deaths covering 2008-2011, they counted a total of 77 deaths, instead of their original 48. 
 
 The researchers also found 146 injuries and accidents related to crib bumpers between 1990 and 2012, including at least 11 that were life-threatening. 
 
 Some babies could swallow the ties of the bumper, Thach said. He added that older babies can use bumpers to climb out of the crib and fall, too. 
 
 Thach and his colleagues point out that the AAP has been advising against crib bumpers since 2008, and doctors, media articles, publications for parents, and injury lawyers have also recommended against them. "Despite this nationwide publicity. . . deaths have not decreased, likely because bumpers remain widely available in the marketplace, media articles commonly show cribs with bumpers, and parents often believe bumpers are necessary for comfort and safety," they write. 
 
 In a statement to Reuters Health, the Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association (JPMA) said traditional crib bumpers can help address parents' concerns about crib-related injuries when used according to instructions. 
 
 "In 2013 an independent research firm evaluated all available information, including incident reports and allegations and found that at no time has the crib bumper been cited as the sole cause of an infant’s death," said the statement. 
 
 The JPMA also said consumers who want bumpers for the care of their baby should buy products that comply with the guidelines set by the standards organization ASTM International. 
 
 Thach and colleagues warn that self-regulation and following safe sleeping practices won't stop children from suffocating if their faces get covered by crib bumpers. 
 
 "We recommend that CPSC ban traditional crib bumpers for sale in 
 
 the U.S. quickly," they add. 
 
 SOURCE: bit.ly/1Ie9v2u The Journal of Pediatrics, online November 24, 2015. ||||| Sudden infant death syndrome is the leading cause of death for babies under the age of 1 year. In a new policy statement, the American Academy of Pediatrics have updated their recommendations to help parents and caregivers protect infants against unexpected sleep-related death. 
 
 
 
 The AAP have issued new safe sleep guidelines with the aim of protecting against SIDS. The AAP have issued new safe sleep guidelines with the aim of protecting against SIDS. 
 
 Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) - also referred to as a "cot death" - is defined as the unexpected death of an apparently healthy baby aged 12 months and under, most often during sleep. 
 
 Each year, around 3,500 infants in the United States die from sleep-related causes, including accidental suffocation and strangulation in bed. 
 
 According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), while overall rates of SIDS have fallen since the early 1990s, rates of accidental suffocation and strangulation among infants during sleep have risen, reaching 21.4 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2014. 
 
 At this week's American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) National Conference & Exhibition in San Francisco, CA, the organization present a new policy statement with updated guidelines to make an infant's sleep environment safer. 
 
 "We know that parents may be overwhelmed with a new baby in the home, and we want to provide them with clear and simple guidance on how and where to put their infant to sleep," says lead statement author Dr. Rachel Moon, of the Division of General Pediatrics at the University of Virginia and AAP member. 
 
 Avoid soft bedding, toys, and crib bumpers in sleeping areas 
 
 Firstly, the statement authors recommend placing a baby on his or her back on a firm sleep surface, such as a crib or bassinet, and the surface should have a tight-fitting sheet. 
 
 Parents and caregivers should also keep the crib or bassinet bare; soft bedding - such as blankets and pillows - should be avoided, as should soft toys and crib bumpers. 
 
 The authors note that infants are at the greatest risk of SIDS up to the age of 4 months, but there is increasing evidence that soft bedding can be hazardous to babies after this age. 
 
 Infant exposure to smoke, alcohol, and illicit drugs should also be avoided, the authors state, as this can raise the risk of SIDS. 
 
 Other recommendations in the policy statement include: 
 
 Offer a pacifier to the infant at nap time or bedtime 
 
 Avoid the use of home monitors or commercial devices - such as wedges or positioners - that claim to lower SIDS risk 
 
 Ensure infants have received all their recommended vaccinations 
 
 Supervised tummy time when a baby is awake is recommended in order to aid development. 
 
 The statement authors also recommend that an infant sleep in the same bedroom as their parents; according to the AAP, room-sharing can reduce the risk of SIDS by up to 50 percent. 
 
 However, up until the child is 12 months old, an infant should not share the same sleeping service as parents; doing so can increase the risk of overlay, whereby a parent may roll on to the child, causing suffocation. 
 
 "Parents should never place the baby on a sofa, couch, or cushioned chair, either alone or sleeping with another person. We know that these surfaces are extremely hazardous." Dr. Rachel Moon 
 
 Breast-feeding can protect against SIDS, but caution required 
 
 The policy statement considers breast-feeding a protective measure against SIDS, but the authors recommend moving an infant to their own separate sleeping space immediately after feeding. 
 
 "If you are feeding your baby and think that there's even the slightest possibility that you may fall asleep, feed your baby on your bed, rather than a sofa or cushioned chair," said statement co-author Dr. Lori Feldman-Winter, member of the Task Force on SIDS. 
 
 In the event a mother does fall asleep while breast-feeding, Dr. Feldman-Winter says the infant should be moved to his or her own bed immediately after awakening, 
 
 "There should be no pillows, sheets, blankets or other items that could obstruct the infant's breathing or cause overheating," she adds. 
 
 As part of their updated recommendations, the AAP suggest healthcare providers have "open and nonjudgmental" conversations with parents about their infant sleep practices. 
 
 Additionally, they call for the media and advertisers to raise awareness of safe sleep recommendations by promoting them in images and messages to the general public. 
 
 "We want to share this information in a way that doesn't scare parents but helps to explain the real risks posed by an unsafe sleep environment," says Dr. Moon. "We know that we can keep a baby safer without spending a lot of money on home monitoring gadgets but through simple precautionary measures." 
 
 Read about a study that details the role serotonin might play in SIDS. ||||| Sharing a bed and objects in bed are the biggest risk factors for sleeping infants, according to a new study. 
 
 The study published in the journal Pediatrics on Monday found that babies aged 0-3 months were most likely to die as a result of bed-sharing. For older infants ages four months to a year, the greatest risk for sleep-related death is objects in the sleep environment, the study found. 
 
 The study relied on a database compiled between 2004 and 2012—using information from 24 states—by the National Center for the Review and Prevention of Child Deaths. Researchers analyzed 8,207 deaths in total. 
 
 Of the younger victims, 74% were sharing a bed at the time of their death. The study defines “bed-sharing” as sleeping with a person or an animal. Of the older victims, 39% of deaths happened in a sleep area containing an object such as a blanket or a pillow. And 18% changed their sleeping position from on their side or on their back to prone. 
 
 But the study makes it clear that it hasn’t uncovered any clear cause and effect. Instead it states its “objective was to determine any associations between risk factors for sleep-related deaths at different ages.” 
 
 The American Academy of Pediatrics guidelines on safe sleep environments suggest placing babies on their back on a firm surface, in the same room as their parents, and with no soft objects or loose bedding until the age of one.
– Frilly crib bumpers may add a whimsical touch to a nursery, but they could be dangerous for infants. A study published in August’s Pediatrics journal says that sharing a bed, as well as items left in a baby’s sleep area are risk factors in infant deaths, reports Time. How much of a factor depends on the baby’s age: The study found that 74% of the younger infants who died (ages newborn to 3 months) were sharing a bed with another person or animal, while 39% of the older infants (ages 4 months to 1 year) were surrounded by blankets, pillows, stuffed animals, or other objects. Most of the babies in the study—which was based on information about 8,207 infant fatalities compiled from 24 states by the National Center for the Review and Prevention of Child Deaths—were non-Hispanic whites, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics; 58% were male. As Time points out, the study doesn’t prove any clear cause-and-effect: Researchers say they were simply trying “to determine any associations between risk factors for sleep-related deaths at different ages.” Still, the AAP recommends that parents create a “safe sleep environment,” which includes placing babies on a firm mattress with a fitted sheet in a crib that meets safety standards (not in an adult bed or on a sofa), keeping toys and loose bedding such as blankets and pillows out of the crib, and dressing the baby in sleep clothing (e.g., sleep sacks). (Click here to read about other sudden infant death cases and possible causes.)