October is Safe to Sleep SIDS Awareness Month!

Each year in the United States, thousands of babies die suddenly and unexpectedly. Some of these deaths result from unknown causes, such as Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). SIDS is the sudden, unexpected death—that doesn’t have a known cause even after a full investigation—of a baby between 1 month and 1 year of age. Learning about SIDS and safe sleep for babies is important for all caregivers, not just for parents. Grandparents, aunts, uncles, babysitters, childcare providers, and anyone else who might care for babies should learn more.

Simple actions (as recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics) can make a big difference:

Always place baby on his or her back to sleep, at naps and at night
Use a firm and flat sleep surface, such as a mattress, in a safety-approved crib, covered by a fitted sheet with no other bedding or soft items in the sleep area
Breastfeed your baby
Share your room with baby. Keep baby in your room close to your bed, but on a separate surface designed for infants, ideally for the first year, but at least the first 6 months
Do not put soft objects, toys, crib bumpers, or loose bedding under baby, over baby, or anywhere in baby’s sleep area
Do not smoke or allow smoking around your baby
Consider giving your baby a pacifier for naps and nighttime sleep
Do not let your baby get too hot during sleep
Follow your healthcare provider’s recommendations for vaccines and regular health checkups
Avoid using products that go against safe sleep recommendations (beware of those that claim to prevent or reduce the risk for SIDS)
Do not use heart or breathing monitors in the home to reduce the risk of SIDS
Give your baby plenty of tummy time when he or she is awake and someone is watching

To learn more about SIDS and safe sleep, visit https://safetosleep.nichd.nih.gov/