What is known about the safety of letting a baby nap in a sling or baby carrier?

Rachel Moon: The thing that we worry about is that when a baby is in that kind of device, the baby’s body position can be such that it blocks their airway or that their face is up against something that can obstruct their airway.

So it’s fine for the baby to be in a carrier or a sling, but we recommend that the baby be upright so that the head and neck are straight and that the airway is straight. And then we also recommend that the baby’s head and neck be above the top of the carrier so that you can always see the baby’s face and that there’s no obstruction of the nose and the mouth.

What is known about the safety of letting a baby nap in a car seat?

Rachel Moon: If you are traveling, a car seat is absolutely the safest place for your baby to be. However, when you get to where you’re going, then it is best if you take the baby out of the car seat and then put the baby on a flat, firm surface.

When babies are at an incline, it’s actually harder for them to keep their airway straight. Their heads are really big and heavy for the size of their bodies. And so it takes a lot more work when they are at an angle than if they’re flat on their back. They can develop muscle fatigue, and that can actually be dangerous for them. … There is actually some really compelling biomechanical data that led to the CPSC, the Consumer Product Safety Commission, restricting and hopefully banning inclined sleep products such as rockers and similar products.

What is the evidence on the safety of ‘co-sleeping,’ where babies sleep in bed with their parents?

Rachel Moon: The safest place for your baby to sleep is in a crib or bassinet or another safety-approved device that is next to your bed. We know that babies who sleep in the same bed as their parents are at higher risk for death.

We recommend for the space to be right next to your bed because that makes it easy for you to turn and pick up the baby or comfort the baby or bring the baby into bed for feeding. If you do bring the baby into the bed for feeding, that’s fine. But when you or the baby gets ready to fall asleep, then just move the baby back into the crib.

What should parents and other caregivers know about the recent headlines claiming a study had found ‘the cause’ of SIDS?

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