How long should infants sleep on backs?
Most of the risk of SIDS is in the first six months of life, especially between one and five months. By the time an infant is six months old, he or she will be rolling over and will assume the position of greatest comfort. So, it seems reasonable to put the baby to sleep on the back for at least the first six months, but you don’t need to keep checking to see if he or she has rolled over onto the stomach. The slight increased risk of SIDS if a younger infant occasionally rolls onto his stomach is not sufficient to outweigh the disruption to parents of constantly checking the infant’s sleeping position. If you happen to find that your younger infant has rolled onto his stomach, you can gently roll him over onto his back.
