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In the United States, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) remains the leading cause of death in infants between the ages of one month and one year. SIDS happens in families of all social, economic and ethnic groups. SIDS most often strikes infants between two and four months of age. We know that SIDS is not caused by suffocation or immunizations and is not contagious or hereditary. Although there is a great deal of research underway, the cause(s) of SIDS still remains unknown.
It is important to remember there is no way to prevent SIDS. We do know that babies sleep safer when placed on a firm surface on their back. Since the early 1990's when parents and other caregivers began placing babies on their backs to sleep (Back to Sleep Campaign), the number of SIDS deaths has dropped by over 50 percent. Now we know there are ways to further lower a baby's risk of SIDS based on recent research studies and the 2005 recommendations of the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Here are ten (10) ways that parents and others who care for a baby can reduce the risk of SIDS.
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The Safe Sleep Top Ten
- Always place a baby on his or her Back to Sleep, for naps and at night.
- Place a baby on a firm sleep surface, such as on a safety-approved crib mattress, covered by a fitted sheet.
- Keep soft objects, toys, and loose bedding out of a baby's sleep area.
- Do not allow smoking around a baby.
- Keep the baby's sleep area close to, but separate from, where you and others sleep.
- Think about using a clean, dry pacifier when placing an infant down to sleep. Do not force the baby to take it. When a baby breastfeeds, wait until he or she is one month old or until after breastfeeding has been established.
- Do not let a baby overheat during sleep.
- Avoid products that claim to reduce the risk of SIDS.
- Do not use home monitors to reduce the risk of SIDS.
- Reduce the chance that flat spots will develop on a baby's head by placing a baby on their tummy when he/she is awake and someone is watching.
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Learn more about these infant care practices and the National Back to Sleep program, a public awareness campaign that has greatly reduced the number of SIDS death in this country.
Read a detailed summary of the 2005 American Academy of Pediatrics SIDS risk reduction recommendations written by Dr. Thomas G. Keens (pdf 113kb).
Do you have questions about reducing your baby's risk of SIDS? Please visit our Frequently Asked Questions section.
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