Human Interest 75% of Explained SIDS Deaths Came From 'Soft Bedding' in Infants' Cribs, New Study Finds Experts have long emphasized the importance of keeping newborns on a firm sleep surface By Rachel DeSantis Rachel DeSantis Rachel DeSantis is a staff writer on the music team at PEOPLE. She has been working at PEOPLE since 2019, and her work has previously appeared in Entertainment Weekly and the New York Daily News. People Editorial Guidelines Published on April 27, 2021 04:25PM EDT Photo: Getty New parents, beware: a new study is once again highlighting the dangers of letting infants fall asleep on soft bedding. Experts have long emphasized the importance of keeping newborns on a firm sleep surface, and according to a study published this month by the journal Pediatrics, it's with good reason. The study looked at the sudden unexpected infant deaths (SUIDs) of nearly 5,000 babies from 2011 to 2017, and found that a majority, nearly 72 percent, occurred in a sleep environment deemed "unsafe." While 82 percent were categorized as unexplained, a majority of those that were considered "explained" shared one thing in common: soft bedding. "Among explained and possible suffocation deaths, ~75 percent resulted from airway obstruction attributed to soft bedding," the study said. The study also found that just 1 to 2 percent of unexplained deaths had no unsafe sleep factors, according to CNN. RELATED VIDEO: This Mom Who Lost Her 9-Week-Old Baby to SIDS Is Helping Other Families "These deaths are still happening – and they happen to well-meaning parents. We have remained at the same rate of sleep-related deaths since around 1998," Dr. Rachel Moon, chair of the American Academy of Pediatrics task force of SIDS, told the outlet. "And the rate in the U.S. is much higher than that in most developed – and even some not-so-developed countries." Moon, who also authored the AAP policy statement on safe infant sleep, added that many parents focus on sleep position, and while that is important, they also need to be cautious of soft bedding. Researchers Warn Parents About Using Monitors to Prevent SIDS Following Study AAP guidelines state that babies should sleep on their backs at all times until their first birthday, as babies who sleep on their stomachs or sides are more likely to die of SIDS (which is considered a subset of SUID). Parents are also advised to use a firm sleep service that does not indent when the baby is lying on it, and to make sure their cribs, bassinets, portable cribs and play yards meet safety standards. Grieving Mom Whose 3-Month-Old Baby Died in His Sleep Shares What Could Have Prevented His Death: 'I Carry Guilt' "Keep soft objects, loose bedding, or any objects that could increase the risk of entrapment, suffocation, or strangulation out of the baby's sleep area," including pillows, quilts, comforters, sheepskins, blankets, toys, bumper pads or similar products, the guidelines say. Moon told CNN that babies' beds should have absolutely nothing in it except for a thin, tight-fitting sheet and the baby.