News on SIDS, Car Seats

You can help reduce your infant's risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) by not bundling her in overly warm clothing for bed, finds a new study. Researchers at the University of Washington School of Medicine in Seattle found that excessive room heat or too-warm clothing may account for some cases of SIDS that had been attributed to "re-breathing" (inhaling air that was just exhaled). "Although the risk of thermal stress is widely accepted abroad, it has received relatively little attention in the United States," say the researchers. "The incidence of SIDS in the United States can likely be further reduced by educating the public against the dangers of overheating, as an integral part of the back-to-sleep campaign."

New research from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that while 99 percent of parents and caregivers studied placed their infants in car seats, only about 10 percent used booster seats for older kids. According to NHTSA, children who are at least 3 or 4 years old and who weigh between 30 and 100 pounds should ride in booster seats until they are big enough to fit into adult seat belts.--Kristen Finello