Still Too Many Babies Die in Their Sleep -- Experts, Families, and a Proven Mattress Technology Demand Change

Breathe Easy Baby™, a leader in breathable crib mattress technology, urges updates to infant sleep-safety standards as sleep-related deaths remain a national concern

ECORSE, Mich., Jan. 27, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Despite decades of safe-sleep guidance and public health campaigns, sleep-related infant deaths remain a persistent tragedy in the United States. According to the CDC, approximately 3,700 Sudden Unexpected Infant Deaths (SUID) were recorded in 2022.

Infant sleep-related deaths remain a leading concern for families and pediatricians. Recent data indicates that SUID rates, including SIDS and accidental suffocation, have risen after years of plateauing, reflecting a complex mix of behavioral, environmental, and product-related factors.

Breathe Easy Baby™, a US designer, manufacturer and pioneer of highly breathable crib mattresses, is amplifying the call for stronger infant sleep-safety standards. Including meaningful updates to mattress design requirements. Advocates argue that while mattress technology has evolved, product safety standards have lagged behind the real-world risks for babies.

The company points to a landmark 2016 court case in which expert testimony from Dr. Rachel Moon of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), stated that restricted airflow likely contributed to the suffocation death of baby Abby Karow while napping in her childcare center. She also stated that a "highly breathable" mattress may have prevented her death. The verdict in favor of the Karow family underscored the limitations of many traditional crib mattresses and their inability to allow natural air exchange when an infant sleeps face-down. The full background on the Abby Karow case and its impact on mattress safety can be found at:
https://breatheeasybaby.com/when-tragedy-sparks-change-why-breathable-crib-mattresses-matter-for-infant-safety/

"All baby mattresses should be designed so in the event a baby rolls over and is sleeping facedown they can breathe freely through their mattress. Air flow saves lives. A baby's life shouldn't be at risk just because they prefer to sleep facedown" said Kelly Obriot, CEO and Founder of Breathe Easy Baby™.

Breathe Easy Baby Offers a Safer, Healthier and More Comfortable Sleep Alternative for Babies. Our Mattress Helps Them Sleep Longer, More Soundly and Has Been Scientifically Proven to Prevent Infant Suffocation.

Beyond high breathability, Breathe Easy Baby's design delivers additional benefits parents care deeply about: among them are physical wellness and comfort. The mattress's spacer fabric sleep surface allows heat, moisture and liquids to pass through rather than becoming trapped beneath a baby's body.

"Airflow helps to stabilize a baby's body temperature and prevent the occurrence of overheating" said Obriot. "Our suspended sleep surface, while still firm, cradles the baby's body in a manner that reduces the hard pressure points found in conventional mattresses. When babies are cooler and supported more comfortably, they tend to sleep longer and more peacefully — and that's beneficial for the baby's healthy development and family well-being."

New Standards and Hope on the Horizon

In the Fall of 2022, a new crib mattress firmness standard went into effect. To be sure this is a step in the right direction for ensuring infant safe sleep. There's also discussion underway for a new C02 Rebreathing standard. Australia is on track to become the first country to adopt a C02 Rebreathing standard.

"These updates represent real world progress," Obriot said. "But families shouldn't have to wait for regulations to catch up with science of safe sleep. Why expose your baby to the continued risks of suffocation when safer sleep alternatives are available?".

For parents and caregivers, experts continue to emphasize proven safe-sleep practices — placing babies on their backs, with a tight fitted sheet. Increasingly, however, they also acknowledge that the physical properties of the sleep surface itself play a role in elevated levels of airflow resistance that can lead to suffocation.

"Every family needs to understand the risks babies are exposed to and make informed choices for their baby's safety and well-being". Obriot added. "Better design, better standards, and better awareness are all needed to reduce these devastating deaths and to give babies the safest and most comfortable sleep possible and to finally bring about a reduction in SIDS".

About Breathe Easy Baby™
Breathe Easy Baby™ develops infant safe sleep products designed to maintain continuous airflow, regulate body temperature and provide maximum comfort.

For more information, visit https://breatheeasybaby.com.

Media Contacts:
Kelly Obriot
Breathe Easy Baby
1-313-405-2943
E-mail: [email protected]

Terry Krieg
Advantage Marketing Solutions
1-248-912-1285
Email: [email protected]

SOURCE Breathe Easy Baby™