SIDS Prevention Tips

Please take the time to read and remember these tips, it could save your baby's life.

All expecting mothers and new mothers have the same fear, sudden infant death syndrome, better known as SIDS. Although there are ways to help prevent this from happening to your baby, there is still alot of research on these risks and more, to keep you up to date on protecting your baby. The most common risks are listed below, with a how to on what you should do to reduce these risks.

Each of these preventitive tips should be taken and acted upon the first full year of your baby's life. These risks usually peak between two and three months of age, and SIDS is still dangerous until a year old. Carefully monitoring your baby's sleeping habits, and limiting the clutter in his crib, could save his life.

1. Always place your babies on their backs to sleep. If sleeping on their stomach, they can suffocate by pressing their noses flat to the surface they are sleeping on. Also, sleeping face down can cause them to breathe in the carbon dioxide they are breathing out.

2. Proper pre-natal care and nutrition. Helping to have a healthy baby from the start will reduce the risks of SIDS. A baby at low birth rate or premature is at higher risk, make sure to get the right care from the start.

3. Don't overdress your babies. Overheating is a risk for babies even at night. Dress them in appropriate clothing for sleeping and keep in mind that if it's too hot for you, it's too hot for them, the same if it's cold.

4. Don't use blankets, bumpers, stuffed animals, or pillows. Each of these could cause suffocation if the baby were to roll over and be face down on the pillow. Or they could scoot over to the bumper or stuffed animals and be smothered while sleeping and not even know it. (If you do use bumpers, make it one that is firm and thin, not pillowlike. And use a thin blanket, not a comforter.)

5. Make sure the crib mattress is firm with a tight sheet. A firm mattress is less likely to have the babies face down and smothered. Having a loose fitted sheet can cause your baby to grab the sheet and ball it up around his face while he sleeps, covering his mouth and nose. Using a tight fitting sheet will help to prevent this.

6. Quit smoking. Smoking during and after pregnancy, or being around smokers, increases your babies risk of SIDS. Inhaling smoke is not good for anyone, especially babies. Keeping them away from all smoke will reduce the chance of SIDS.

7. Pacifiers. These decrease the risk of SIDS and also helps your baby sleep.

8. Fresh air. Circulation of fresh air is important, this will keep the baby from re-breathing the air he exhaled. A small fan or open window will work. But keeping baby warm is a must, either by dressing him in sleepers or using a "wearable blanket". Staying warm through the night reduces the risks, and helps your baby sleep longer.

9. Sleep in their own crib. Sleeping in the same bed as mom and dad could have the baby suffocating on pilows, or smothered by blankets. There is even a risk of being wedged between the bed and wall, rolled on top of by the parents, or pushed out of bed completely.

10. Although you should always put your baby to sleep on his back, you should let them play on their stomach often. This will help them strengthen their motor skills, lifting their heads and moving around. After a while this can get them in the habit of lifting their heads and changing positions while sleeping.

Each of these tips I practice at home with my newborn. Majority of this list can be gained from magazines such as Baby Talk and American Baby, or talk with your pediatrician and a variety of websites. There plenty of information out there to help you to keep your baby safe. I have researched a few websites also to compile a list of the leading causes of SIDS. And then gave simple explanations on how to prevent these. When I was bringing my baby home, the thought of SIDS scared me, I got information from doctors, magazines, and websites such as www.sidsprevention.com and www.sids-network.org/risk.htm.