Alaska Natives were doing what we were all doing, laying infants prone to prevent aspiration. I did the first presentation of the Back to Sleep info (before "Back to Sleep") and got reemed by an Alaska Native Medical Center ER doc. . .who now regrets doing that. Fleming, an early researcher from England stated that "The well known association of SIDS with cold weather might suggest hypothermia was the operative factor. However there are no published studies showing that a lower ambient temperature or less insulation are risk factors for SIDS and there is increasing evidence that paradoxically the thermal environment of sleeping infants tends to be warmer in winter than in summer because of the use of room heating and thicker insulation." If someone were to ask "Who actually discovered sleep position made the difference", Fleming could answer. For the purpose of pediatric history, it would be interesting to know (and give him or her a medal). I think it's one of these guys below but not sure who. . . Wigfield RE, Fleming PJ, Berry PJ, Rudd PT, Golding J. Can the fall in Avons 's sudden infant death syndrome rate be explained by changes in sleeping position? BMJ. 1992;304:282-283 Fleming PJ, Gilbert RE, Azaz Y, Berry PJ et al, The interaction between bedding and sleeping position in sudden infant death syndrome: A population based case control study. Brit Med J 1990;301:85-89 Stanton AN. Overheating and cot death. Lancet 1984; ii:199-201 Mitchell EA, Engleberts AC. Sleeping position and cot deaths. Lancet 1991;338:192 ----- Original Message ----- From: Graham Barden <> To: The Thurston Family <> Sent: Monday, October 11, 1999 7:32 PM Subject: Re: SIDS ~ and a new topic please > Back to you for fear of continuing the thread - but I have to > ask- what did the native Alaskans do for sleep position before > 1990? In Hawaii there is a huge Asian population and I bet > higher supine sleeping than in the states and possible in > Alaska. I do remember reading a cool room was "better" safer. > In England, the rate was lower for homes that turned off the > heat at night. In the NICU, if we had a baby with apnea, we'd > turn the heater down in the isolette as well. > -g barden > body of the message.