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. There's no guaranteed way to prevent SIDS, but you can help your baby sleep more safely by following these tips:īack to sleep. Both being born early and having a low birth weight increase your baby's chances of SIDS.ĭuring pregnancy, the mother also affects her baby's risk of SIDS, especially if she: Babies who live with smokers have a higher risk of SIDS. Babies who've had siblings or cousins die of SIDS are at higher risk of SIDS. For reasons that aren't well-understood, nonwhite infants are more likely to develop SIDS. Infants are most vulnerable between the second and fourth months of life. Boys are slightly more likely to die of SIDS. Being too warm while sleeping can increase a baby's risk of SIDS.Īlthough sudden infant death syndrome can strike any infant, researchers have identified several factors that might increase a baby's risk. While the risk of SIDS is lowered if an infant sleeps in the same room as his or her parents, the risk increases if the baby sleeps in the same bed with parents, siblings or pets. Lying face down on a fluffy comforter, a soft mattress or a waterbed can block an infant's airway. Babies placed in these positions to sleep might have more difficulty breathing than those placed on their backs. 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. Many infants who died of SIDS had recently had a cold, which might contribute to breathing problems. Premature birth or being part of a multiple birth increases the likelihood that a baby's brain hasn't matured completely, so he or she has less control over such automatic processes as breathing and heart rate. In many of these babies, the portion of the brain that controls breathing and arousal from sleep hasn't matured enough to work properly. Some infants are born with problems that make them more likely to die of SIDS. Physical factors associated with SIDS include: For advice from our Medical co-author, like how to decide between bed-sharing or room-sharing, keep reading.A combination of physical and sleep environmental factors can make an infant more vulnerable to SIDS. Moving your mattress to the floor can also reduce the risk of your baby falling from high up, so consider temporarily getting rid of your mattress frame. You should also refrain from placing pillows or stuffed animals around your baby since they could roll over and get wedged between them. Additionally, if you share your bed with a partner, avoid placing your baby between the two of you since it can increase the risk of injury. However, if you still want your baby to sleep in bed with you, there are things you can do to reduce risks, like sleeping in a "C" shape on your side with your baby lying on their back next to you. If you want to be close to your baby while you both sleep, consider placing a crib or bedside sleeper next to your bed. Before you co-sleep with your baby, know that many experts discourage sharing a bed with a baby since it can be dangerous and even fatal for the baby.
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