|
Reducing the Risk of SIDS
Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) is the sudden and unexplained death of an infant under one year of age. Researchers in the United States have found that one of the most important ways to reduce a baby's risk of dying of SIDS is to ALWAYS put the baby to sleep on his or her back.
Clear Communication Between Parents and Caregivers
Parents and caregivers need to mutually agree to put babies to sleep on their backs. Babies who normally sleep on their backs but are placed on their tummies to sleep are 18 times more likely to die of SIDS.
Special Advice for Group Care Settings
Group care facilities for children should develop written policies regarding sleep position and train staff members to uphold that policy.
The Research
Since 1992, when the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) began recommending that babies sleep on their backs, the rate of SIDS has fallen by 43%. Babies who sleep on their stomachs are 4 times more likely to die of SIDS than those who sleep on their backs. | 
Print Page
Email Page
Restricted Login