The Journal of family practice
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Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) is a major cause of infant mortality and is associated with the prone sleeping position. The goal of this study was to determine changes in newborn nursery policies and practices regarding infant sleeping position between 1992 and 1999. ⋯ From 1992 to 1999 nurseries in Missouri have changed from predominantly using prone and lateral positioning to lateral and supine positioning for newborns. Some nurses continue to voice concern about placing infants on their backs and expressed a willingness to place babies prone. Since there is agreement between nurses' usual infant positioning and the advice given to parents, and because both are important influences on infant positioning by parents, future campaigns to decrease SIDS should emphasize correcting nurses' positioning behavior and advising parents to increase infant supine positioning.