What is SIDS?

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has defied the term SIDS as Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. This sudden and unexpected death occurs in babies less than 1-year-old while the baby is sleeping. After an investigation of the baby’s death, if the baby’s death cannot be explained the death is categorized as SIDS.

Learn more about the problem and CDC activists by visiting: https://www.cdc.gov/sids/about/

Who is at risk for SIDS?

According to the CDC, there are about 3,600 babies in the United States alone that have suddenly and unexpectedly died each year. Sudden unexpected deaths in infants include SIDS, accidental suffocation while sleeping and other unknown causes. Since parents are not present to witness these deaths as they occur, investigators may not be able to get a clear description of what happened, making it difficult to determine the cause.

Considering, SIDS is a mysterious syndrome that cannot be determined, there are certain risk factors. As an example, SIDS is more likely to affect babies who are between 1-4 months old and is more common in boys than girls.

The following factors may place a baby at higher risk of SIDS:

• Babies sleeping on their stomach or sides
• Overheating while sleeping
• The sleeping surface is too soft
• Mothers who smoke during pregnancy increase SIDS by 3x
• Second-hand smoke can increase a baby’s risk of SIDS by 2x
• Premature or low birth weight babies

What you can do to prevent SIDS

• Babies under 1-year of age should always be placed on their backs when being placed to sleep.
• A babies sleeping surface should be firm and clear of fluffy blankets and stuffed animals
• Keeping a babies room at a cool temperature to prevent the child from overheating
• A swaddling sleeping sack or wrapping a light blanket snuggly around a baby may help calm a crying baby.

Does Swaddling Prevent SIDS?

There is no evidence to recommend swaddling prevents the risk of SIDS, but it does reduce the risk. Here are 2 reasons why swaddling may help lessen the chances of SIDS and suffocation.

Swaddling Reduces Rolling
Swaddling prevents a baby from rolling over onto their tummies. Swaddling makes it difficult for a baby to flip over while sleeping.

Swaddling Reduces Crying
Swaddling helps to reduce a baby’s crying by acting as a weighted or calming blanket that hugs a baby to sleep.

What can expecting mothers do to prevent SIDS?

• Schedule and go to all prenatal doctor visits.
• Avoid smoking while pregnant or being around anyone else who smokes
• Hold your newborn skin to skin while breastfeeding. If you can breastfeed, do this as soon as you can after birth. Skin-to-skin contact is also beneficial for bottle-fed newborns.

For detailed information on reducing the risk of SIDS visit the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) to ready their full article on Recommendations for a Safe Infant Sleeping Environment

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