SIDS
October is National Sudden Infant Death Syndrome(SIDS) Awareness Month. SIDS is the unexplained sudden death of a child under 1, and is the leading cause of death in infants between 1 month and 1 year of age. SIDS often occurs when babies are asleep in their cribs.
Dos and Don’ts of Crib Safety:
Dos
• Have your baby sleep on his or her back.
• Keep the crib as empty as possible.
• Make your home a smoke-free environment.
• Keep a fan in the baby’s room. It can reduce the risk of SIDS by 70 percent.
• Put the crib in the parents’ bedroom until the infant is 6 months old.
Don’ts
• Don’t overstuff the crib with full bedding, extra pillows or bumper pads. If you need to use a bumper pad, opt for a flat one.
• Don’t use sleep wedges, unless your doctor recommends them.
• Don’t leave stuffed animals in the crib.
• Don’t overheat the baby with extra blankets.
• Don’t keep the baby dressed in a skullcap.
• Don’t use loose sheets and blankets. Use one tightly fitted sheet around the mattress and keep the baby in a sleep sack with a closed bottom and arm openings.
The Snuza Halo is a monitoring device that senses a baby’s breathing. If the baby stops moving, it vibrates to wake the baby. If the baby doesn’t move, then an alarm sounds to alert parents.
Read more SIDS prevention tips at Dr. Sears’ blog.