SIDS Risks & Prevention

SIDS. When my son was first born, I refused to even say the word. My husband knew that "the bad thing" meant SIDS and that I feared it with my whole self. The really scary thing about SIDS is that there is only one real fact we can state about it - nobody knows much. Most every piece of advice surrounding SIDS prevention is based on some science, but as with any health issue, we cannot truly prevent it until we know what causes it. There is no known cause of SIDS.

I'll start with the factors the medical community generally accepts as risks for SIDS, but keep in mind that more than half of SIDS victims have none of these factors.
-Being male. Boy babies are more likely to die of SIDS.
-Between 1 month and 4 months of age. Infants are most vulnerable during the second and third months of life.
-Having been premature or of low birth weight.
-Being Black, American Indian or Native Alaskan.
-Having been born to a mother who smokes or uses drugs. Smoking after pregnancy also increases a baby's risk. This also applies to second-hand smoke, so try to keep your baby away from cigarettes everywhere you go.
-Having been born during the fall or winter months.
-Having recently recovered from an upper respiratory infection. Evidence of infection within four weeks of death is a common finding
-Being the siblings of a baby who died of SIDS.
-Being born to a mother who had poor prenatal care, a placental abnormality, low weight gain during pregnancy, her first pregnancy before age 20, anemia, or an STD or UTI.

Now onto the prevention efforts.
- "Back is Best" - always, always place your baby to sleep on his back. Both stomach and side sleeping are believed to place your baby at risk.
-Breastfeeding is though to reduce the SIDS risk.
-A very firm mattress. It may seem cruel to place your baby to sleep on something nearly hard as a board, but it is good for their development and it is believed to reduce the change of SIDS.
-A "stuff" free crib - no stuffed animals, loose sheets, soft bumpers, or anything that can either restrict air flow or end up over your baby's face.
-Same room, separate sleeping space. You can hear your baby to react if he neesd you, but remove the danger of rolling on him or pulling the blankets over his face.
-A pacifier at sleep time.
-Avoid overheating. If you are afraid your baby may be cold, add a layer of clothing rather than increasing the house temperature.
-Educated secondary caregivers on all of the above (grandparents, daycare workers, etc.). Know that babies who are used to sleeping on their backs are actually at a higher risk if put to sleep on their stomachs than a baby who always sleeps on his stomach.

What we did/do - Our son slept in our room on a separate sleeping surface (a bassinet) for the first four months of his life. We moved him into his room (and his crib) at four months and one day of age. His crib has a very firm mattress with a firmly-fitting fitted sheet. We do have bumpers, but they are breathable bumpers (made of mesh). He does not have any items with him in the crib while sleeping. We have a ceiling fan always running while he sleeps. We always put him down to sleep on his back. We put him down to sleep with a pacifier most of the time. He is always in a sleep sack and we never use blankets.

Also, know that there are many products on the market that prey on your fear of SIDS. There is no proof that breathing monitors reduce the SIDS risk. If it helps you sleep at night, go for it, but don't feel like you are a bad parent if you don't buy these types of items.

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I am not a medical professional and I offer these tips based on my experience and a whole lot of reading. Please consult with your medical professional before taking acting on any of my tips.