Survey Shows Most Parents In Wisconsin Put Babies To Sleep The Doctor-Recommended Way

A nationwide survey of new moms shows many infants are not put to sleep the way doctors recommend, with babies on their backs. In Wisconsin, most moms are doing it correctly, but co-sleeping remains an issue that could put infants at risk.

For 20 years, health experts have urged parents to put their babies on their backs at bedtime. New research presented at a recent pediatrics conference in Vancouver says only two-thirds of parents are doing that, and the rate is even lower for pre-term infants.

The nationwide survey showed high-risk sleeping patterns such as stomach sleeping and bed sharing were more common among blacks and Hispanics.

Nicole Baumann-Blackmore, a pediatric hospitalist with Meriter-UnityPoint Health in Madison, says the study shows the need for improvement in getting parents to do what doctors believe is best.

“It brings up some good points, that we need to really meet parents where they’re at based on their education level, their ethnicity, what they’re used to in caring for babies – because a lot because of ways people care for babies are culturally based,” said Baumann-Blackmore.

The nationwide survey of babies sleep habits showed wide variation. At 50 percent, Alabama had the lowest rate of infants placed in the proper position; Wisconsin, at 80 percent, had the highest rate among the 36 states studied. Baumann-Blackmore says giving one message to parents is important:

“Making sure we’re giving consistent information. So from the prenatal visits with OB providers, with pediatric providers all the nursing staff any classes they might take prenatally all of the physicians. We’re really trying hard to be on the same page.“

The most recent survey of new moms in Wisconsin indicates more than one-third shared a bed with their infants. While room-sharing, is recommended for infants, bed-sharing is not.