 In 1992, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) issued the recommendation that babies sleep on their backs or sides to reduce the risk of SIDS (a statement that was later revised in 1996 to say that only the back was safest).NICHD launched the "Back to Sleep" campaign in 1994 to spread the message.The campaign was successful in that it significantly reduced the percentage of babies sleeping on their stomachs (prone position).