Our newborn was waking up every hour the first 2 nights. a baby nurse had put him to sleep on his side and he slept 3, was this a mistake due 2 sids?

Possibly...or not: The "back to sleep" campaign has caused a significant decrease in the incidence of sids. Sids is most worrisome between 4-16 weeks, although newborn sleep habits are highly variable. Perhaps a compromise - sleeping some in a car seat for example - would help. The most important thing to keep in mind is to make sure nothing is loose that could choke the baby or cover the face/mouth.

Ok in some instances: Fortunately, very few babies die of sids. Years ago in america, when babies slept on their tummies, about 3 babies out of every 1000 would die of sids. Nowadays, when babies sleep on their backs, about 1 to 1.5 babies per 1000 die of sids. Sleeping not flat on the back, but rolled 1/3 of the way towards one side, may be ok. Parents should talk with the doctor if a baby won't sleep on his/her back.

Worrisome: The last data I reviewed show side sleeping as risky as belly sleeping in the first 4 months of life.Unfortunately, if you pattern a baby to side or belly sleep in the first few days of life, they may resist back sleeping.During the early years of "back to sleep" I threatened to have baby nurses fired if I ever saw a newborn in these positions, it stopped and my babies accepted back sleep