Sudden Infant Death Syndrome: What Every Parent Needs to Know About SIDs by Sophia L. Thomas, DNP, APRN, FNP-BC, PPCNP-BC, FNAP, FAANP

Having a newborn can be exciting, but with every new bundle comes worry, and for some parents, the threat of SIDs (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome) is enough to keep them up at night. Every year, 3,500 infants die from SIDs in the U.S., and the inexplicability of the devastation rightfully has parents worried. While SIDs is neither predictable nor preventable, there are things parents can do to lower their baby’s risk: 

• Back to sleep, always. Back sleeping has reduced the incidence of SIDs by 50 percent.

• Go smoke-free. Secondhand smoke increases risk.

• Don’t co-sleep. Sharing a room reduces SIDs risk, but sharing a bed increases it.
  

• Don’t over-bundle. Overheating has been linked to SIDs.

• Skip the blankets. Loose bedding is a suffocation risk. 

Of all the precautions, putting your baby to sleep on his or her back is the single most important thing parents can do to prevent SIDs, so be sure babysitters, grandparents and other caregivers understand the importance, even for naps! To learn more visit WeChooseNPs.org.

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