I don't necessarily agree with back sleeping--my kids have issues with spitting up and I'm more afraid of them choking! However, the pillow issue is a big one. I know we all see these cuddly bassinets and swings that are all cushy and soft and think their beds have to be likewise. Definitely not true! Better to err on the side of caution and listen to what pediatricians say than take a chance and regret it later.

Side note, unrelated to the story, I know--do not leave your babies asleep in carriers with the straps undone. Serious strangulation hazard. It may be convenient, you may worry about waking the kid up when you pull them out, but it is just so not worth the risk.

We just had our first child and were surprised that several people we know still used bumper pads and/or filled the crib with stuffed animals thinking it was 'cute'.

These were the same people who unfortunately who don't seem to find time to read.

My daughter was born in 1975, Gainesville General Hospital, Gainesville, FL. The most acceptable sleep position then was on her back! I'm not certain that it was because we were in a "cutting edge" medical community or what, but I can tell you that my daughter had no problems. It was relatively easy for me since I was a minimalist sort and had no problems discarding the soft, fluffy stuff. It's funny, though, today, she sleeps beneath piles of stuff: pillows, comforters and such. Wherever did I go wrong. :):)!!??

I used bumpers for my babies, they slept on their tummies and had a stuffed animal. They are alive today. I agree with Catsclaw1 that placing babies on their backs raises the risk of choking on spitup. Our parents/grandparents put their babies in dresser drawers. I think perhaps part of the problem is lack of quality control in the industry for infant cribs and mattresses. Make sure you buy a sturdy new or used crib and that the mattress fits snuggly against the rails. The sheets need to be form-fitting (meaning elastic around edges for a tight fit). The bumpers should be tied securely, ties facing the outside of the crib, and tucked between the mattress and rails.

I cannot believe that there are people, dads or moms, who do not have the brains to figure that out for themselves. Surround the captive baby with a bunch of soft stuff? I suppose that sounds a bit insulting but it is so incredibly basic!

Never did put a cuddly soft stuffed animal in with my babies. They slept in the positions they liked the best... it varied... tummy or back. Cuddlies were for when they started crawling around out of the crib, pulling themselves up, and then their cuddly friend would tell them what a good job they'd done. Sometimes I think parenting turns us into amateur ventriloquists.

I mean, it is so obvious! Even though I had no brothers or sisters myself to learn on. And, in addition to what the pediatricians recommend... I left the baby's door open during his sleep time and would just check on him while he slept. It's a habit to develop. And NEVER, ye gods, put him in your own bed. You or hubby may roll over on him!

Do we have to start teaching Common Sense 1A-1B????? Perhaps required? Especially for mommy dearests who do not know any better? When SID takes place, maybe those occasions should start being publicized. In this day and age I cannot conceive a doctor cannot find a reason a baby died. Just stopped breathing? He doesn't figure out why?

My friend's daughter just had a baby.

Before she was allowed to be in the room with the baby alone, without her "Mommy Helper", she had to sign off on papers.

Before she could be released she had to sign four pages of instructions such as "Don't microwave your baby bottle" (in her drug-induced state she thought it said "Don't microwave your baby"), "Don't feed your baby milk", and "Put your baby on its back to sleep".

All this stuff was rather obvious to me, a confessed baby-hater who has no desire to have one myself.

One full page was devoted to "Don't shake your baby" where she had to fill out a worksheet describing alternative actions to shaking her baby.

I guess I realize when 14 and 15 year olds are having babies, there might not be too much common sense involved. But even the 21 year old had figured these things out before.

The whole time she was doing her "homework" I was thinking to myself, did someone actually sue the hospital saying that the hospital didn't tell them they couldn't shake their baby?

A baby should sleep on her back, rather than her tummy? Try telling that to my 3-month-old. I've always laid her on her back, and returned to find her on her tummy. No matter how many times I flip her over, she rolls back onto her tummy. She just likes to sleep like that. I can't stop her unless I wake up every few minutes. It doesn't take her very long to accomplish it. She's adamant about tummy sleep. I don't blame her; it is much more comfortable.

It's not about common sense, it's about training.

Girls used to be trained so that by the age of 14 they could care for a house and baby. (14 because that's when you can biological start to have babies) And they learned from their elder women who've already done it.

Girls aren't trained anymore. Women know nothing. You can't tell them anything. They know it all without knowing nothing. They won't listen to their mothers, other women or doctors.

They have to learn the hard way. All you can do is hope and pray they don't have to learn it hard, because it means the baby died.