Thank you, Neil.
Actually, face-up sleep is the customary practice in East Asian countries. But in the process of westernising, especially well-educated parents chose face-down sleep to improve head shape in the 1960s and 1970s.
And then face-up sleep was reintroduced, and parents re-recognised that the traditional custom was an important way to help prevent SIDS. Today's parents in Japan can say the three principles of SIDS prevention are: avoiding stomach sleeping, breastfeeding, and avoiding smoking environments.
Hajime
CHIFA profile:
Hajime Takeuchi is a professor at the Bukkyo University in Japan. Professional interests: child health, child poverty, child wellbeing. takechanespid@gmail.com He is a CHIFA Country Representative for Japan and a member of the CHIFA Steering Group (child health and rights) http://www.hifa.org/support/members/hajime takechanespid AT gmail.com