October is SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome) Awareness month. SIDS is the sudden death of an infant under one year of age which remains unexplained. It affects 2,500 infants in the U.S.A alone and thousands more throughout the world.
There are some things that can be done to reduce the risk of SIDS.
1. Place infants to sleep on their backs.
2. Place infants to sleep in a crib with a firm mattress.
3. Keep the crib in parents bedroom for at least the first six months.
4. Do not over-cover the infant while he/she sleeps.
5. Do not expose the infant to tobacco smoke.
6. Breast-feed your baby whenever possible.
7. Offer your baby a pacifier. Some studies have shown a lower rate of SIDS among babies who use pacifiers.
Last fall another major factor was discovered in the prevention of SIDS – the use of a fan in the baby’s room. The study was published by the Archives of Pediatrics and states that there was a 72% reduction in SIDS risk when a fan was used during sleep.
Safety is the foremost priority for parents of new babies. So when you buy crib bedding sets make sure that the manufacturer is in compliance with all current safety standards.
October 29th, 2009 at 1:52 pm
Just wanted to add that eliminating blankets, comforters and sheets from your baby’s crib and dressing him in a sleepsack is another way to reduce the risk of SIDS. Unlike the loose bedding, a sleepsack can’t be kicked onto baby’s face and pose a suffocation risk.
Thanks for posting these tips! Hopefully by talking about the risk factors we can help to lower the number of mortalities in the US.