How can sids be reduced

These surfaces can be very dangerous for babies. Do not use a car seat, stroller, swing, infant carrier, infant sling or similar products as baby's regular sleep area. Following these recommendations reduces the risk of SIDS and death or injury from suffocation, entrapment, and strangulation. Breastfeeding has many health benefits for mother and baby.

Babies who breastfeed, or are fed breastmilk, are at lower risk for SIDS than are babies who were never fed breastmilk. Longer duration of exclusive breastfeeding leads to lower risk.

If you bring baby into your bed for feeding, put him or her back in a separate sleep area when finished. This sleep area should be made for infants, like a crib or bassinet, and close to your bed. If you fall asleep while feeding or comforting baby in an adult bed, place him or her back in a separate sleep area as soon as you wake up.

Evidence shows that the longer a parent and an infant bed share, the higher the risk for sleep-related causes of infant death, such as suffocation. Share Your Room With Baby. Room sharing reduces the risk of SIDS. Baby should not sleep in an adult bed, on a couch, or on a chair alone, with you, or with anyone else, including siblings or pets.

Just because you're up-to-date on SIDS safety doesn't mean your childcare provider is. Consider these frightening statistics: One out of five SIDS deaths occurs when a baby is in day care or being watched by someone other than a parent, according to research in the journal Pediatrics.

And more than 20 percent of babies in day-care centers are put down for naps on their tummy. Review SIDS precautions with everyone who watches your child, whether it's a day-care worker, a babysitter , a relative, or a friend.

They must know how to keep your infant safe while he sleeps, so you can rest easy. Unless your baby has a diagnosed cardiac or respiratory illness, using an electronic breathing monitor doesn't help, studies show—and it may actually give parents a misguided sense of security. Devices marketed to reduce carbon dioxide rebreathing, such as crib mattresses with built-in fans, are also not proven to be effective.

And avoid wedge-shaped sleep positioners that claim to keep your baby on her back: An infant can slide off and suffocate against it.

Although the causes of SIDS sudden infant death syndrome are still largely unknown, doctors do know that the risk of SIDS appears to peak between 2 and 4 months. Save Pin FB More. Always put your baby to sleep on his back—never on his stomach or side.

Have her sleep in a crib in your room. Never share your bed with your baby. Make sure the crib mattress is firm. Avoid crib bumpers, blankets, pillows, and soft toys. Use a pacifier at sleep time. Try swaddling your child. Also, never expose your baby to other illicit drugs.

SIDS is sometimes known as crib death because the infants often die in their cribs. Although the cause is unknown, it appears that SIDS might be associated with defects in the portion of an infant's brain that controls breathing and arousal from sleep. Researchers have discovered some factors that might put babies at extra risk.

They've also identified measures you can take to help protect your child from SIDS. Perhaps the most important is placing your baby on his or her back to sleep. A combination of physical and sleep environmental factors can make an infant more vulnerable to SIDS. These factors vary from child to child. The items in a baby's crib and his or her sleeping position can combine with a baby's physical problems to increase the risk of SIDS. Examples include:. Although sudden infant death syndrome can strike any infant, researchers have identified several factors that might increase a baby's risk.

They include:. This can lead to an overall healthy baby and may help soothe a fretful baby. Some mothers learn that putting babies on their stomachs may make them cry less. And while that is true for many, if not most babies, it is dangerous and puts babies at higher risk for sleep-related deaths. Give your baby plenty of interactive tummy play-time.

This should never be in a bed. A good place for this is on a play mat on the floor. Never leave him on his stomach unattended. Play with him as he does his baby push-ups. When you travel with your baby, be sure to plan a safe place for him to sleep.

Call ahead to the hotel to make sure they have safe cribs available or take your own portable crib.