Hazardous bedding in infants' sleep environment is still common and a cause for concern.

Studies from the United States, Europe, New Zealand, and Australia, dating from 1993, found that soft bedding under and around a sleeping infant increases the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), with adjusted odds ratios of 3.1 to 6.7. The risk was so compelling that the American Academy of Pediatrics recommended in 1996 that infants sleep in environments with firm sleep surfaces and free of soft or loose bedding. In addition, there have been growing concerns about soft and loose bedding contributing to an increased risk of accidental suffocation.