FollowHow to Prevent SIDS
SIDS is short for sudden infant death syndrome. It is also known as crib death and it occurs in babies under 12 months in age. The baby dies in their sleep and there are usually no warning signs and no clear reasons for the death. There is no way to prevent SIDS 100% but there are some things you can do in order to lower your baby’s risk.
1. Be sure that your baby sleeps on their back- When you put your baby to bed at night, be sure to place them on their back. This is something that should be done at naptimes as well. If you notice that they have rolled over onto their stomach or their side, you can leave them in that position however. Just as long as they are initially placed on their back then they are fine to roll over.
2. Have your baby sleep on a firm mattress- Be sure your baby has a firm mattress to sleep on. Be sure the crib you are using meets the current safety standards and that it has not been recalled. Also, the crib should not have broken or missing parts. You want to be sure the mattress has the right fitted sheet for its size.
3. Keep your baby in a sleeping area close to yours- Be sure that the baby sleeps in a crib that is preferably in the same bedroom that you use or at least as close to your bedroom as possible. You should not have your baby sleep in the same bed as you.
4. Remove toys and soft objects from the crib- Your baby’s crib should be free of toys, soft objects and loose bedding. You don’t want to have crib bumpers or pillows in their sleep area. You also don’t want to have quilts or blankets in the crib either other than the one the baby is covered with.
5. Do not let your baby get too hot- You want to ensure the baby’s room is kept at room temperature and only dress baby in one layer of clothing at sleep time.
