Photo by Ashley Walker on Unsplash
Sudden infant death syndrome, or SIDS, is the unexplained death of a healthy baby, usually before their first birthday, that often occurs during sleep. It’s also been called crib death, and is a leading cause of death in infants. One of the strategies that the United States has used to try to reduce these deaths is to tell new mothers not to sleep with their babies, under the assumption that the
baby could be unintentionally smothered by the mother during sleep. This has been the recommendation of the American Academy of Pediatrics for some years now, but one nurse scientist is challenging this recommendation. Dr. Lauren
Covington, PhD, RN, is an Assistant Professor at the University of Delaware School of Nursing, a sleep health equity researcher and a practicing pediatric ICU nurse with over 15 years of experience. She has received numerous national and local awards for her research on improving sleep and health outcomes in socioeconomically disadvantaged families. She spoke with HealthCetera host, Diana Mason, PhD, RN, about SIDS and her work on this important health issue. This interview first aired on HealthCetera in the Catskills on WIOX Radio on May 27, 2026.
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