The first "Back to Sleep" campaign began in 1992, when the American Academy of Pediatrics began recommending that all healthy infants be placed on their backs to sleep for naps or at night. Periodic surveys confirm that the practice does help protect infants during sleep. In contrast, placing infants on their stomach during sleep contributes to the nearly 3,000 annual deaths from SIDS.

While it is not entirely clear what causes the sudden, unexplained deaths, back sleeping is known to significantly reduce the number of infant deaths during sleep.

"Placing infants on their backs for sleeping reduces the risk of SIDS by more than 40 percent," said Richard Ahrens, MD, UI associate professor of pediatrics.

Ahrens noted that safe infant sleeping includes these additional protective steps, recently reviewed by the American Academy of Pediatrics:

• Placing the infant on a firm sleeping surface without pillows or other compressible objects;
• Not allowing the infant to share a bed with adults;
• Avoiding dressing the child too warmly, which can cause overheating;
• Keeping the baby away from cigarette smoke, and during pregnancy, the expectant mother should not smoke.

Ahrens added that some parents express concern that placing a baby on his or her back will cause the child to choke if he or she should vomit. However, he said that studies show this does not seem to be a problem in reality.

In addition, certain medical conditions do exist for which the stomach-lying position is appropriate, and parents should consult with their infant's doctor about any special concerns related to infant sleeping position.

While it is important to place a baby on his or her back for sleeping, it is safe to place babies on their stomachs while awake, according to the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD). This "tummy time" during waking hours helps the babies develop certain motor skills.