SIDS stands for Sudden Infant Death Syndrome – formerly called “crib death.” This is a sudden and unexpected death of a baby under one year of age. Surprisingly, SIDS is the number one cause of death in babies from one month to one year of age – although most occur under six months. There is a greater risk of SIDS death if an infant is placed on his or her stomach to sleep – the much safer position for sleeping is on the back. Babies that are placed on soft bedding or sleep with blankets are more likely to die than those without. Furthermore, African American babies are two times more likely to die of SIDS than white babies – and American Indian babies are three times more likely.

How do you Prevent SIDS?

There are several ways you can keep your baby at
low risk for SIDS:

• Back to Sleep!  Always remember
  those words – place your baby on his or her back to sleep.  Never place
  an infant on the tummy when sleeping.

• Purchase a safety approved crib and use a
  

  firm mattress.

• Never use soft and fluffy bedding. 
  Keep all toys out of your baby’s crib.

• Tell everyone in your family and all
  child care workers that your baby must sleep on his or her back without soft
  bedding or toys.

• Never allow anything to cover your baby’s
  face while sleeping, including blankets.

• Never smoke around your baby or keep your
  baby in a house that has smoke.

• Keep your baby cool while sleeping. 
  A baby who is overheated is at more risk for SIDS.

When your baby is awake and playing, provide
“tummy time” to help increase neck and shoulder muscle strength.  Your
baby must be supervised at all times during “tummy time.”

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