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Back to Sleep Campaign

The U.S. "Back To Sleep" campaign was launched in June 1994 by the U.S. Public Health Service, American Academy of Pediatrics, SIDS Alliance, and Association of SIDS and Infant Mortality Programs, with endorsements by over 60 organizations. This campaign reflects the single most significant development in our medical understanding of SIDS to date: babies sleeping on their stomachs seem to be more likely to succumb to SIDS.

Armed with this important new finding, outreach strategies and materials were developed targeting the parents of the nearly four million babies expected this year. Through promotion of feature stories and media coverage, the availability of a nationwide toll-free information and referral hotline, the production of television, radio, and print ads, and distribution of informational brochures, the U.S. Back To Sleep campaign has gained awareness and momentum. As of 2002, the National Center for Health Statistics reported a more than 50 percent drop in SIDS death rates and a decrease in stomach sleeping from 70 percent to 15 percent - crediting saturation of the Back To Sleep message and the resultant change in parental practice. This is the equivalent of sparing the lives of more than 3,500 American babies each year.

"The reduction in SIDS deaths is a direct result of the Back to Sleep Campaign," said Duane Alexander, M.D., director of the NICHD. "The campaign has proven successful in educating the medical field, parents, grandparents, and care givers about the importance of putting babies to sleep on their back to significantly reduce the risk of SIDS."   In addition to back sleeping, recent studies have identified soft bedding and overheating as significant risk factors for SIDS and accidental infant deaths. In response, First Candle/SIDS Alliance and its Back To Sleep partners have expanded the campaign to include additional recommendations on providing the safest environment possible for sleeping infants.

Yet despite our best efforts to date, SIDS remains the leading cause of death for infants one month to one year of age, claiming the lives of approximately 2,000 babies in the U.S. each year.  Even more alarming is the fact that African American and Native American babies continue to be at 2-3 times greater risk than Caucasian babies.  It is clear that these life-saving messages are not reaching all communities and all populations.

Our goal is to get this critical information out to everyone who cares for infants --parents, grandparents, childcare providers, babysitters, and siblings -- so that we can all play a role in providing a better future for America's families. Though it is clear that following SIDS risk reduction recommendations faithfully will still not prevent all SIDS deaths, and any baby may be vulnerable to SIDS despite parents' best efforts, we urge you to join us in this campaign to give infants the best possible chance to survive and thrive.