Suffocation Deaths Associated with Use of Infant Sleep Positioners — United States, 1997–2011

Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR)
November 23, 2012 / 61(46);933-937

Unintentional suffocation is the leading cause of injury death among children aged less than 1 year in the United States, accounting for nearly 1,000 infant deaths annually. Since 1984, an estimated fourfold increase has been observed in accidental suffocation and strangulation in bed, with many of these deaths linked to unsafe sleep environments (1,2). Infant sleep positioners (ISPs) are devices intended to keep an infant in a specific position while sleeping, yet ISPs have been reported to have been present in the sleep environment in some cases of unintentional infant suffocation (Figure).
To characterize infant deaths associated with ISPs, FDA, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), and CDC examined information reported to CPSC about 13 infant deaths in the past 13 years associated with the use of ISPs.

School Health Guidelines to Promote Healthy Eating and Physical Activity

 www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/npao/strategies.htm

Schools play a critical role in improving the dietary and physical activity behaviors of children and adolescents. Schools can create environments supportive of students’ efforts to eat healthy and be active by implementing policies and practices that support healthy eating and regular physical activity and by providing opportunities for students to learn about and practice these behaviors.

CDC synthesized research and best practices related to promoting healthy eating and physical activity in schools, culminating in nine guidelines. These guidelines were informed by the Dietary Guidelines for Americans,¹ the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans,² and the Healthy People 2020 objectives related to healthy eating and physical activity among children, adolescents, and schools.³ The guidelines serve as the foundation for developing, implementing, and evaluating school-based healthy eating and physical activity policies and practices for students.

Each of the nine guidelines is accompanied by a set of implementation strategies developed to help schools work towards achieving each guideline. Although the ultimate goal is to implement all nine guidelines included in this document, not every strategy will be appropriate for every school, and some schools, due to resource limitations, might need to implement the guidelines incrementally.

The health of students is linked to their academic success. Both physical activity and healthy eating may help improve academic achievement.^4–7

Healthy eating and regular physical activity play a powerful role in preventing obesity and chronic diseases, including heart disease, cancer, and stroke — the three leading causes of death among adults aged 18 years or older.^8–12