Want to know more?

• What is Sudden Infant Death Syndrome?

• Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) is the sudden death of an infant under 1 year of age which remains unexplained after a thorough case investigation, including performance of a complete autopsy, examination of the death scene, and review of the clinical history (Willinger et al., 1991) – http://www.sidscenter.org/whatisSIDS.html

• What factors help to reduce the risk of SIDS?

• Place infants (under 1 year of age) on their back to sleep.



• Remove soft bedding (pillows, stuffed toys, quilts, bumper pads) from the crib.



• Make sure infants are always in a smoke free environment.



• Do not overdress the baby.



• Keep room temperature comfortable for a lightly clothed adult.



• Do not have more than one baby in a crib. Infants do not share a bed with another child or adult.



• Never put a blanket over a baby’s face or head.



• If you do use a blanket, place baby with feet at bottom of the crib. Tuck a thin blanket around the crib mattress, covering baby only as high as his/her chest. (See Picture). Consider using a sleep sack or a wearable blanket instead of a traditional blanket.



• Train all caregivers (including volunteers and substitutes) on safe sleep practices described above.



• Crib meets Consumer Product Safety Commission guidelines (English, Spanish)
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Note: Make sure babies have awake and supervised tummy time to strengthen muscles needed to slide on their bellies and crawl.