The incidence of babies with irregular head shapes, such as a flattened section in the back of the skull, have increased in the United States since the Back to Sleep campaign was introduced in 1994 to prevent sudden infant death syndrome, an expert says. "There's no doubt that as we as a country began putting babies to sleep on their backs, the incidence of [sudden infant death syndrome] declined significantly," Dr. Sherilyn Driscoll, director of pediatric rehabilitation medicine at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., said in a Mayo news release.

Additional coverage: HealthDay, MSN Health

US News & World Report   4/29/12

Tags: babies, Back to Sleep Campaign, Dr. Sherilyn Driscoll, infant death syndrome, irregular head shapes, Mayo Clinic Rochester, Pediatrics