Genesee County Health Department
Better Life Through Better Health
Reducing the Risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome
What are the Risk Factors for SIDS?
Researchers have concluded that the
mother’s health and behaviors during her pregnancy and the baby’s
health before it is born seem to influence the occurrence of SIDS.
Despite this knowledge, we still can not predict how, when, why or even
if SIDS will occur.
Maternal risk factors
include:
- Smoking during pregnancy
- Maternal age less the 20 years
- Poor or no prenatal care
- Low weight gain
- Substance/Drug use
In 1992 the American Academy of
Pediatrics recommended placing infants on their backs or sides during
periods of sleep to reduce SIDS. Since then, as tummy sleeping has
declined, the number of SIDS deaths has decreased by more than 40%.
Below is a list of recommendations to
reduce the risk of SIDS:
- Breastfeed
if possible. If you breastfeed your baby in bed, put the baby back
into his or her own crib to sleep. Consider placing the crib in your
room for convenience
- Place
baby on his or her back to sleep at nighttime and naptime. Be
sure to provide supervised tummy time when baby is awake for
development of chest, neck and arm muscles.
- DO NOT
let any smoke around your baby. Keep baby away from tobacco and
marijuana smoke. The risk for SIDS is higher for infants whose mothers
smoked during pregnancy.
- Infants should never be placed
to sleep on a pillow, couch, waterbed, sheepskin
or other soft item.
- Infants should sleep on a firm
mattress, in a safety approved crib, porta-crib,
or bassinette with a tight
fitting sheet.
- Infants should sleep alone in
a crib. Sleeping with other children, adults or pets is
dangerous and can lead to accidental suffocation.
- Remove all fluffy and loose bedding
(comforters,
bumper pads, pillows, blankets) and other soft items (stuffed animals)
from the sleep area.
- Keep baby’s head and face
uncovered during sleep. Use
a blanket sleeper instead of a blanket.
- Don’t let baby get too warm during
sleep, do not overdress. Some signs your baby is too warm: damp
hair, sweating, heat rash, and rapid breathing.
Make sure everyone who takes care
of the baby has a safe place for him or her to sleep. Babysitters,
grandparents, day care, neighbors, and anyone else who cares for your
baby needs to know about the safest way for your baby to sleep.
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