Applied Evidence

A guide to providing wide-ranging care to newborns

J Fam Pract. 2018 April;67(4):E4-E15

From The Journal of Family Practice | 2018;67(4):E4-E15.

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Numerous risk factors for SIDS have been identified, including maternal factors (young maternal age, maternal smoking during pregnancy, late or no prenatal care) and infant and environmental factors (prematurity, low birth weight, male gender, prone sleeping position, sleeping on a soft surface or with bedding accessories, bed-sharing (ie, sleeping in the parents’ bed), and overheating. In many cases, the risk factors are modifiable; sleeping in the prone position is the most meaningful modifiable risk factor.

Home monitors have not been proven to reduce the incidence of SIDS and are not recommended for that purpose.

To minimize the risk for SIDS, parents should be educated on the risk factors—prenatally as well as at each infant well visit. Home monitors have not been proven to reduce the incidence of SIDS and are not recommended for that purpose.^54-57Although evidence is strongest for supine positioning as a preventive intervention for SIDS, other evidence-based recommendations include use of a firm sleep surface; breastfeeding; use of a pacifier; room-sharing with parents without bed-sharing; routine immunization; avoidance of overheating; avoiding falling asleep with the infant on a chair or couch; and avoiding exposure to tobacco smoke, alcohol, and drugs of abuse.^55,56A recent systematic review showed that large-scale community interventions and education campaigns can play a significant role in parental and community adoption of safe sleep recommendations; however, families and communities rarely exhibit complete adherence to safe sleep practices.⁵⁷

Other concerns in the first month of life and immediately beyond

In TABLE 5,² we list additional common newborn problems not reviewed in the text of this article and summarize evidence-based treatment strategies.

CORRESPONDENCE
Scott Hartman, MD, Associate Professor, Department of Family Medicine, University of Rochester Medical Center, 777 South Clinton Avenue, Rochester, NY 14620; scott_hartman@urmc.rochester.edu.

Acknowledgement
We thank Nancy Phillips for her assistance in the preparation of this article.