My colleagues and I wrote an article differentiating sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) of unknown causes from possibly preventable causes of sudden infant death. The main thrust of the article was the danger of the prone sleeping position, especially on particular types of beds and bedding. The manuscript was refused by the three major US pediatric journals. Through the astuteness of Frank Oski, MD, it was published in the January 1992 issue of Contemporary Pediatrics.1
Following publication, a flurry of letters expressed concern about the recommendation of the supine sleeping position. Many indicated their dismay at having recommended the supine position. Only after the publication of the summary statement of the American Academy of Pediatrics have the objecting letters stopped.
The recent statement of the American Academy of Pediatrics2 recommending the placing of infants to sleep in the supine or lateral position is timely. Reports from other countries,