SIDS information

What can I do to lower the risk of SIDS and keep my baby healthy?
There are many things you can do throughout your pregnancy and after the baby is born to lower the risks of SIDS.

Some of them include:

• Start prenatal care early in your pregnancy and maintain regular check-ups.
• Do not drink alcohol or use drugs during your pregnancy.
• Do not smoke before or after the birth of the baby. Do not allow second-hand smoke around the baby.
• Always place the baby on his or her back to sleep.
• Place your baby on a firm mattress in a safety approved crib. Never place your baby on soft surfaces such as waterbeds, pillows, sheepskin or a couch to sleep.
• Make sure your baby's head and face stay uncovered during sleep.
• Remember that co-sleeping can be unsafe.
• Keep the sleeping room at a comfortable temperature to avoid overheating.
• Make sure your baby gets plenty of supervised tummy time when awake.
• Take your baby to all scheduled well-baby check-ups.
• Breast-feed your baby.

Links to more information:

• Vulnerable infants
• Reducing number of vulnerable infants cornerstone to decreasing SIDS mortality
• Avoid cough suppressants
• Study finds brain stem abnormality in SIDS infants
• Prolonged QT interval
• Third brain stem defects
• Positional Plagiocephaly and Sleep Position
• Public service announcement in Hmong language (Audio File: .wav format; 1312 KB)
• Recommendations to reduce the incidence of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome
• Recommendations to reduce the incidence of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (Spanish)