SIDS Awareness Month

October is SIDS Awareness Month. SIDS stands for Sudden Infant Death Syndrome and it’s as scary as it sounds: SIDS is the unexpected death of an infant when he or she was sleeping. Today we’re going to briefly touch on ways you can prevent SIDS. This information comes directly from the AAP guidelines and policy on SIDS.​ I am not a medical professional so if you have any questions or concerns please address them to your doctor or baby's pediatrician.

1. Back to Sleep – Every time your baby sleeps they should sleep only on their back up until 1 year old. Some new parents worry when their older baby learns to roll over and sleep on their stomach, but this should not be a problem as long as there are no soft objects or loose bedding in their sleeping area (see number 5 below). However if you do swaddle your baby make sure to stop swaddling once they learn how to roll over. This might also be a good time to also mention that the car seat is not a safe place for a baby to sleep due to positional asphyxiation. We will be covering car seat safety in a future post. Some might also worry that we photograph babies on their tummy. We only do this with strict supervision (baby is never left unattended and is constantly monitored for regular breathing and temperature) and for extremely limited amounts of time.
2. Use a firm sleep surface – babies should sleep on a mattress covered by a fitted sheet (and I’d recommend a water proof protector under the fitted sheet because diaper leaks can happen). The Finnish Baby Box (for babies 0-3 months) was designed with this principle in mind: babies don’t need a very soft surface to sleep on and in fact they are safer on a more firm surface as it decreases the risk of suffocation.
3. Breastfeeding is recommended – according to several studies breastfeeding has been associated with a reduced risk of SIDS. Even a short period of breastfeeding is better than none. However if you have issues breastfeeding consult your doctor about whether you should continue to breastfeed.
4. Co-sleeping – there are two types of co-sleeping. One is safer and the other is not. The type of co-sleeping that is recommended is that the infant sleeps in their parent’s room, close to their bed but on a separate sleeping surface specifically designed for infants (such as a bassinet). It is ideal that this sleeping arrangement continue for at least 6 months and up to a year old. Having your baby in the same room will also make night feedings easier as you don’t have to travel as far (although it will also decrease your sleep quality! 😭) but make sure to put your baby back in their own sleeping space when you are finished feeding them. The type of co-sleeping that is not safe is the baby sleeping in the parent’s bed as the baby can become trapped in the blankets of the large bed or otherwise suffocate.
5. Keep soft objects and loose bedding out of the baby’s sleeping space – this includes blankets, comforters, stuffed animals, pillows, toys, and crib bumpers. These loose objects can become a suffocation hazard; there is also a risk for entrapment or strangulation. If you are worried about your baby being cold at night you can put an extra layer of clothing on them or try a wearable blanket (like a sleep sack). Bumper pads were originally designed to prevent babies from slipping through the slats of their cribs but modern cribs do not pose that risk. It is best not to use a bumper because they have been indicated in several SIDS related deaths.
6. Consider offering a pacifier during sleep time – this is a difficult suggestion because on the one hand using a pacifier can cause problems with breastfeeding due to nipple confusion but on the other had studies have shown that using a pacifier can protect against SIDS, even if it falls out of their mouth while sleeping. Consult with your doctor if you have questions about which option is best. It’s also important to note that if you do use a pacifier don’t use a pacifier clip or other means of keeping the pacifier with the baby as they pose a strangulation/suffocation risk.
7. Avoid smoke exposure, consuming alcohol and illicit drug use during pregnancy and after birth – Second hand smoke around a baby increases the risk of SIDS. There is an increased risk of SIDS with exposure to all of these substances.
8. Avoid overheating and head coverings in babies – When babies are too warm, they will be not only be uncomfortable, it can be dangerous. A good rule of thumb is to dress the baby with one layer more than what you are wearing yourself. Check if the baby is sweaty, especially behind the neck; see if their skin is red/flushed, check for rapid breathing or if they are sluggish. Consult your doctor with any concerns and if your baby is non-responsive see medical attention immediately!

These are the basics but if you’d like to learn more check out the American Academy of Pediatrics guidelines I linked at the beginning of the post. 

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