You might be rocking the baby to sleep, but as soon as you lay … Safe to Sleep campaign. Read more about the dangers of bed sharing. In addition to putting your baby to sleep on her back during the first year of her life, make sure that every caregiver, including relatives, babysitters, and childcare providers, knows to do this. https://sids.org/what-is-sidssuid/reduce-the-risk/ [Accessed July 2019], CDC. https://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/143/4/e20183325 [Accessed July 2019], ASI. A baby's risk of SIDS has been found to be two to 13 times higher (depending on the study) if she sleeps on her tummy instead of her back. back to sleep, for naps and at night, to reduce the risk of SIDS. The back sleep position is the safest position for all babies until they are 1 year old. Sometimes the only way to comfort my son is to put him on my chest. The best way to decrease baby’s SIDS risk is to always keep her in a safe environment, especially while sleeping. This makes back sleeping the single most important action that parents can take to keep their baby safe while sleeping . Don't use a soft mattress, such as one with memory foam, or any kind of mattress topper. Most experts believe that SIDS occurs when a baby has an underlying physical vulnerability (such as immature or abnormal functioning of the heart, breathing, or arousal) and is exposed to certain stressful factors (such as sleeping tummy-down or being dressed too warmly) during a critical period of development. Yes, as long as you stop as soon as your baby starts trying to roll over or is able to get out of the swaddle. How can I reduce the risk of SIDS? At least until he knows how to roll over. Some infants die of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). SIDS and other sleep-related infant deaths: Updated 2016 recommendations for a safe infant sleeping environment. Researchers have learned a great deal about SIDS, but they still have no definitive answer to what causes it. the most helpful and trustworthy pregnancy and parenting information, 900 babies die from accidental suffocation or strangulation while sleeping, 1,300 babies die during sleep for unknown reasons, Placed on soft bedding such as pillows or blankets, Placed on a soft surface such as a couch, armchair, or waterbed, Sharing with someone who is very tired or using medication that makes it hard to wake up, Sharing with a smoker, even if that person isn't smoking in bed, Sharing with someone who took illicit drugs, Sharing with anyone who is not a parent, including other children. Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) is the unexplained death, usually during sleep, of a seemingly healthy baby less than a year old. Does anyone have access to stats which explain that e.g. About 70% of sleep deaths occur when babies share their parents' bed. Breastfeeding and reduced risk of sudden infant death syndrome: A meta-analysis. If the incidence of SIDS is dramatically higher in crib versus a parent’s bed, and because the cases of accidental smothering and entrapment are only 1.5% of the total SIDS cases, then sleeping with a baby in your bed would be far safer than putting baby in a crib. Will sleeping on his back cause a flat spot on my baby's head? But in cultures where floor-sleeping is common, co-sleeping is associated with lower rates of SIDS. However, the risk if you accidentally fall asleep is high. Helping babies sleep safety. A meta-analysis concluded that babies who were breastfed for at least two months cut their risk of SIDS in half, even if the babies were not exclusively breastfed. Some studies showed premature babies placed on professionally-monitored, oscillating waterbeds grew better and had fewer apnea episodes than other preemies did (although one study disputed this.) About 15 to 20 percent of SIDS deaths happen in childcare settings. “An awake adult holding a sleeping baby on their chest should be OK, although the preferred position for sleep is supine” (lying on the back), Feldman-Winter says. In such cultures, people sleep on firm mats on the floor. ... One study found that the risk of SIDS when co-sleeping is six times higher in smokers than in non-smokers. Millions of cribs by major brands have been recalled in recent years. Sleeping on my chest works but is contrary to SIDS guidelines. Studies show that a baby's risk of SIDS rises with each additional smoker in the household, with the number of cigarettes smoked around her each day, and with the length of her exposure to cigarette smoke. If you fall asleep, put your baby in her crib when you wake up. A baby sleeping on your chest during the day time when the baby is supervised is unlikely to get SIDS or die from SIDS simply from sleeping on your chest. 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