SUDDEN INFANT DEATH SYNDROME
(SIDS)
CONTENT
What is SIDS
10 Steps to Promote Infant Sleep Safety
When can I put My Baby on their Tummy
Other Things To Do To Reduce Risk of SIDS
WHAT IS SIDS
1.Sudden Infant Death Syndrome or SIDS is the sudden and unexplained death of an infant under one (1) year of age.
2.Most SIDS deaths occur when a baby is between 2 and 3 months old and can occur anytime of the year.
3.More boys than girls are victims of SIDS.
4.SIDS occurs more often among African American babies than white babies but can occur in any family.
5.SIDS, sometimes known as crib death, strikes nearly 2,500 babies in the United States every year.
a.The death is sudden and unpredictable, usually occurring during sleep.
b.In most cases, the baby seems healthy.
6.Doctors and nurses do not know what causes SIDS, but they have found some things you can do to make your baby safer.
10 Steps to Promote Infant Sleep Safety and to Reduce the Risk of SIDS
- Place babies to sleep on their backs for naps and at nighttime, not on their tummies or sides.
a.Remember "stomach to play, back to sleep" for baby's healthy development and to lower SIDS risks.
- Give the protection of a crib andmake sure babies don't sleep on sofas or in beds with others.
a.Let the infant sleep in a crib or bassinet near the parent’s bed
b.Do not allow your baby to sleep with you in your bed
c.Bring your baby into your bed for nursing or comforting, but return them to their own crib or bassinet when they are ready to sleep
d.It is a good idea to keep the baby’s crib or bassinet in your room; this has been linked with a lower risk of SIDS.
- Use a firm mattress that fits and has no gap between it and the frame of the crib.
a.Never let your baby sleep on a pillow, waterbed, sheepskin, or other soft surface
b.Do not put fluffy blankets, comforters, stuffed toys, or pillows in the crib with your baby
c.Some babies have smothered with these soft materials in the crib.
- Use a fitted sheet that is the right size for the mattress and tuck blankets in.
- Do not use bumper pads, sleep position wedges, orpillows in the crib.
- Keep toys and fluffy blankets out of the crib while baby sleeps.
- Make sure the baby's room is in the safe temperature range of 68°F to 75°F
a.Cover the baby only with a light blanket that reaches no further than the baby’s armpits
b.Some researchers suggest that a baby who gets too warm could go into a deeper sleep, making it more difficult to awaken
c.Using a thermometer in the baby's room can help.
- Position the crib away from the heat vent.
- Prevent overheating by layering the baby's clothes and not overdressing them.
- Keep all cigarette smoke away from pregnant women and all babies.
a.Create a smoke-free zone around your baby
b.No one is allowed to smoke around your baby
c.Do not expose your baby to secondhand smoke. Exposure to secondhand smoke doubles a baby's risk of SIDS
d.Do not smoke while you are pregnant. Babies of mothers who smoked during their pregnancy are three times more likely to die of SIDS than those whose mothers were smoke-free.
The safest place for a baby to sleep is in a crib on his or her back. While the exact cause of SIDS is not entirely clear, we know that a safe sleep environment can greatly reduce the risk of SIDS. Parents and others who care for babies can also help to prevent the tragedy of accidental deaths among sleeping infants by adopting safe sleep practices.
WHEN CAN I PUT MY BABY ON THEIR TUMMY
1.Your baby can be placed on his or her stomach (tummy) when awake.
2.Some “tummy time” while your baby is awake is good for him or her.
3.“Tummy time” allows your baby to explore and to have a variety of movements and positions.
OTHER THINGS TO DO TO REDUCE RISK OF SIDS
Doctor or Clinic Visits
1.Make sure your baby has regular well-baby checkups.
2.If your baby seems sick, call your doctor or clinic right away.
3.Make sure your baby gets his or her immunizations (shots) on schedule.
Prenatal Care
1.Receive early and regular prenatal care.
2.Early and regular prenatal care can also help reduce the risk of SIDS.
3.Do not smoke, drink, or use drugs while pregnant. The risk of SIDS is higher for babies whose mother smoked or used drugs or alcohol during her pregnancy.
Breastfeeding
1.Breastfeed if possible. There is some evidence that breastfeeding may help decrease the incidence of SIDS.
2.Breastfeeding keeps your baby healthy and may protect your baby from infections that increase the risk of SIDS.
Pacifiers
1.Put your baby to sleep with a pacifier during the first year of life. Pacifiers have been linked with a lower risk of SIDS.
2.If your baby rejects the pacifier, don't force it.
3.If you're breastfeeding, it's a good idea to wait until after you baby is 1 month old to offer a pacifier so that breastfeeding can be established.
Alcohol
Drinking alcohol during pregnancy increases the risk of SIDS.
Reviewed/Revised: 02/06…..08/11
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