NEW BABY SMARTS

"Babies and Sleep"

Sleeping babies are about as cute as you can get, but there is one very menacing danger, and it's spelled SIDS!

SIDS is the leading cause of death in infants between 1 month and 1 year of age.

Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) is the unexplained death of an infant under one year of age. Some people call SIDS "crib death", because many babies who die of SIDS are found in their cribs.

Health care providers know that cribs don't cause SIDS, but they don't know the exact cause.It has been proven that babies sleep safer on their backs. When an infant sleeps on its tummy he or she is much more likely to die of SIDS than babies who sleep on their backs.Always put your baby back down for sleep, for naps and at night.

The sleeping surface also matters. Babies who sleep on or under soft bedding are more likely to die of SIDS.

SIDS Facts:

 Most SIDS deaths happen when babies are between 2 months and 4 months of age.
 African American babies are more than 2 times as likely to die of SIDS as white babies.
 American Indian/Alaskan Native babies are nearly 3 times as likely to die of SIDS as white babies.

10 Rules For Baby's Sleep

1. Always place baby on his or her back to sleep, for naps and at night. The back sleep position is the safest, and every sleep time counts.

2. Place baby on a firm sleep surface, like a safety-approved crib mattress, covered by a fitted sheet. Never place your baby to sleep on pillows, quilts, sheepskins, or other soft surfaces.

3. Remove soft objects, toys, and loose bedding out of your baby's sleep area. No pillows, blankets, quilts, sheepskins, and pillow-like crib bumpers in your baby's sleep area. Keep all items of any kind away from baby's face.

4. No smoking around baby.

5. Baby's sleep area should be close to, but separate from, where you and others sleep.  Babies should not sleep in a bed, couch or armchair with adults or other children. 

6. Use a freshly cleaned, dry pacifier when placing baby down to sleep, but don't force baby to take it.

7. Don't baby become overheated during sleep. Dress baby in light sleeping clothing. Keep the room at a temperature that is comfortable for an adult.

8. There are products that claim to reduce the risk of SIDS, but most have not been tested for effectiveness or safety.

9. Some recommend that you do not use electronic monitors to reduce the risk of SIDS. They claim they are not reliable.

10.  Prevent flat spots from developing on your baby's head.  Indulge in some "Tummy Time" when your baby is awake and someone is watching.  Remeber to change the direction that your baby lies in the crib from one week to the next.  It's also a good idea to avoid too much time in car seats, carriers, and bouncers.

And a final reminder - Babies sleep safest on their backs

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  Baby Sleeps