Becoming a parent can be overwhelming, scary and full of unknowns. Your whole world becomes consumed with caring for your newborn and you worry about every little thing. Are you doing things right? Is your baby happy and healthy? You watch them sleep and check on them constantly…but for good reason. One of the biggest concerns that new parents have is Sudden Infant Death Syndrome or SIDS. Below I will explain SIDS and ways you can protect your baby from this heartbreaking syndrome.
What is SIDS?
- Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) is the sudden and unexplained death of a baby younger than 1 year old.
·
About 2,300 babies in the United States die of
SIDS each year.
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SIDS is more likely to affect a baby who is
between 1 and 4 months old.
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SIDS is more common in boys than girls.
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Most deaths occur during the fall, winter and
early spring months.
What are the Risk Factors for SIDS?
- Sleeping on their stomach or their side, rather than
their back.
- Overheating when sleeping.
- Sleeping on a surface that is too soft or filled with
fluffy blankets or soft toys.
- Mothers who smoked during pregnancy (three times more
likely to have a baby with SIDS).
- Exposure to passive smoke.
- Mothers who are younger than 20 years old at the time
of their first pregnancy.
- Being born to mothers who had little, late, or no
prenatal care.
- Born prematurely or with low birth weight.
- Having a sibling who died of SIDS.
What You Can Do as a Parent to Protect Your Baby:
·
Attend all prenatal care visits.
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Don’t allow anyone to smoke around
your baby.
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Provide a safe sleep environment:
o
Always place baby
on his or her back to sleep.
o
Use a firm and flat surface in a safety-approved
crib, covered by a fitted sheet and free of soft and loose bedding, crib
bumpers, stuffed animals, and toys.
o
Share
your room with baby. Keep baby close to your bed but on a separate surface, for
example, in their own crib or bassinet.
·
Breastfeed your baby.
Jessica Mathews, Children’s Services Program
Specialist
Division of Health Care Services
Clinton County Health Department
