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:. During pregnancy, the mother also affects her baby's risk of SIDS , especially if she:. There's no guaranteed way to prevent SIDS , but you can help your baby sleep more safely by following these tips:. Back to sleep. Place your baby to sleep on his or her back, rather than on the stomach or side, every time you — or anyone else — put the baby to sleep for the first year of life. This isn't necessary when your baby's awake or able to roll over both ways without help. Don't assume that others will place your baby to sleep in the correct position — insist on it.
Advise sitters and child care providers not to use the stomach position to calm an upset baby. Have your baby sleep in in your room. A baby can easily roll from a side position onto the belly during sleep. Some researchers believe that stomach sleeping may block the airway and hurt breathing. Stomach sleeping can increase "rebreathing" — when a baby breathes in his or her own exhaled air — particularly if the infant is sleeping on a soft mattress or with bedding, stuffed toys, or a pillow near the face.
As the baby rebreathes exhaled air, the oxygen level in the body drops and the level of carbon dioxide rises. Infants who die from SIDS may have a problem with the part of the brain that helps control breathing and waking during sleep. If a baby is breathing stale air and not getting enough oxygen, the brain usually triggers the baby to wake up and cry to get more oxygen. If the brain is not picking up this signal, oxygen levels will continue to fall.
In response to evidence that stomach sleeping might contribute to SIDS, the American Academy of Pediatrics AAP created its "Back to Sleep" campaign, which recommended that all healthy infants younger than 1 year of age be placed on their backs to sleep.
Babies should be placed on their backs until 12 months of age. Older infants may not stay on their backs all night long, and that's OK. Once babies consistently roll over from front to back and back to front, it's fine for them to be in the sleep position they choose. There's no need to use positioners, wedges, and other devices that claim to reduce the risk of SIDS.
Some parents might worry about " flat head syndrome " positional plagiocephaly. This is when babies develop a flat spot on the back of their heads from spending too much time lying on their backs. Since the "Back to Sleep" campaign, this has become more common — but is easily treatable by changing a baby's position in the crib and allowing for more supervised "tummy time" while he or she is awake.
Many parents fear that babies put to sleep on their backs could choke on spit-up or vomit. However, only babies with certain uncommon upper airway malformations may need to sleep on their stomachs. There's no increased risk of choking for healthy infants and most infants with gastroesophageal reflux GER who sleep on their backs.
Parents should talk to their child's doctor if they have questions about the best sleeping position for their baby. Still, SIDS remains the leading cause of death in young infants.
The "Safe to Sleep" campaign builds on "Back to Sleep," reminding parents and caregivers to put infants to sleep on their backs and provide a safe sleep environment.
For parents and families who have experienced a SIDS death, many groups, including First Candle, can provide grief counseling, support, and referrals. Reviewed by: Floyd R. For Patients.
What is SIDS? Who is at risk for SIDS? Factors that may place a baby at higher risk of dying from SIDS include the following: babies who sleep on their stomach or their side rather than their back overheating while sleeping too soft a sleeping surface, with fluffy blankets or toys mothers who smoke during pregnancy three times more likely to have a baby with SIDS exposure to passive smoke from smoking by mothers, fathers, and others in the household doubles a baby's risk of SIDS mothers who are younger than 20 years old at the time of their first pregnancy babies born to mothers who had little, late, or no prenatal care premature or low birth weight babies having a sibling who died of SIDS Are there any theories about why SIDS occurs?
The model holds that SIDS occurs when three conditions exist simultaneously: the infant has an underlying e. Can SIDS be prevented? The commitment and compassion with which we care for all children and families is matched only by the pioneering spirit of discovery and innovation that drives us to think differently, to find answers, and to build a better tomorrow for children everywhere.
Kevin B. Churchwell, President and CEO.
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