The Back to Sleep Campaign Reducing SIDS deaths has been a goal of the NICHD since it was founded. In 1974, congress passed the Sudden Infant Death Syndrome Act (Public Law 93-270), which placed the NICHD at the forefront of SIDS research. This Act also charged the NICHD with providing information to the people of the United States about SIDS and ways to reduce the risk of SIDS.
In 1991, as a result of NICHD-supported research, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) began recommending that babies be placed on their backs or sides to sleep, at naptime and at bedtime, to help reduce the risk of SIDS. In 1994, the NICHD joined the AAP and other partners in starting the Back to Sleep campaign, to educate parents and caregivers about ways to reduce the risk of SIDS. In 1996, based on NICHD-supported research, the AAP recommended that babies be placed wholly on their backs to sleep to reduce the risk of SIDS—the back sleep position was associated with the lowest risk of SIDS. Since the Back to Sleep campaign began, the number of SIDS deaths in the United States has dropped by more than 50 percent. To view the Institute's Back to Sleep materials and information, please visit http://www.nichd.nih.gov/sids/. NICHD Research on SIDS The NICHD has been working to reduce the number of SIDS deaths, both through the Back to Sleep campaign, and through research into the causes and features of SIDS. You can view the Institute's news releases to learn more about these research findings. SIDS can be devastating to parents and families. If you or your family are coping with a SIDS death, please talk to your health care provider. Additional information about SIDS and ways to reduce SIDS risk is available at http://www.nichd.nih.gov/health/topics/Sudden_Infant_Death_Syndrome.cfm. | 
