Why Sofa Sleeping Is Deadly for Infants

The incidence of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) has declined more than 50% since the national “Back to Sleep” campaign was launched in 1992, while the incidence of other sleep-related infant deaths (accidental suffocation, strangulation, ill-defined causes) has not declined and may have increased. Sleeping on a sofa has been shown to increase the risk for infant death at least 50 times compared with sleeping on other surfaces (e.g., beds, cribs). To determine what makes sleeping on a sofa so hazardous, researchers analyzed a database of infant deaths in 24 states from 2004 to 2012.

Of 7934 sleep-related deaths, 1024 occurred on sofas and 6910 on other surfaces. Deaths on sofas were twice as likely to be classified as accidental suffocat…