Study outlines dangers of infants sleeping on sofas

November 12, 2014

Elk Grove Village, IL – More than 1 out of 10 sleep-related infant deaths between 2004 and 2012 took place on sofas, according to a study from the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Researchers evaluated the leading risk factors associated with infant deaths on sofas using data from 24 states. Infant deaths on sofas were more likely to be associated with several factors, including:

  • Non-supine (not positioned on back) placement for sleep
  • Sleeping in the side position
  • Sharing the sofa with another person

“Given that the risk of death for infants sleeping on sofas is so high, it is important that parents and caregivers be educated about safe sleep guidelines in general and, more specifically, the dangers of placing infants for sleep on sofas and similar surfaces and sharing these surfaces with an infant,” researchers wrote in the report.

The report was published online Oct. 13 in the journal Pediatrics.