Safe Sleeping Recommendations
Currently, there is no evidence as to what causes SIDS or how to prevent SIDS. However, by following the Safe Sleeping recommendations you reduce the risk of SIDS and other sleep-related infant deaths.
The Recommendations
- Sleep baby on back
Sleeping on the back reduces the risk of SIDS. Tummy or side sleeping increases the risk of SIDS. Healthy babies placed to sleep on the back are less likely to choke on vomit than tummy sleeping infants
- Keep head and face uncovered
Keeping a baby's face and head uncovered during sleep decreases the risk of SIDS. It is important that a baby does not get too hot while sleeping. Many babies who have died from SIDS were found with their heads and faces covered by bedding, which probably caused overheating and an increase in their arousal threshold. Sleeping on the tummy, too much clothing, heavy bedding, or a room that is too warm may also lead to overheating. Re-breathing by baby of expired air when the face or head is covered or obstructed may also contribute to SIDS.
- Keep baby smoke-free before and after birth
Smoking during pregnancy significantly increases the risk of SIDS, particularly if the mother smokes during the second or third trimester of her pregnancy. It is important that babies be kept in a smoke-free environment during pregnancy and after birth.
- Safe sleeping environment day and night
Cots, mattresses and environments that are unsafe increase the risk of sudden unexpected infant death. For information about safe cots, mattresses and environments
- Sleep baby in safe cot in parents room
Research in New Zealand and the UK has shown that sleeping baby in the same room, but not in the same bed, with the parents in the first six to twelve months of life is protective. This is thought to be because parents can see the baby and easily check to see that baby is safe. This protective effect does not work if the baby is in the room with other children probably because the children do not know if the baby is safe or not. Recent evidence from the UK indicates that sharing the same room during baby's daytime sleeps is also protective.
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Breastfeed baby
Breastfeeding babies more than halves the chances of a baby dying suddenly and unexpectedly. Numerous studies conducted over the past 15 years show that along with maternal and infant health benefits, breastfeeding helps reduce the risk of sudden and unexpected infant death, including SIDS. Hauck and colleagues’ (2011) meta-analysis of 18 studies concluded that any duration of breastfeeding is protective against SIDS, while the protective effect is stronger for exclusive breastfeeding.
The protective effect of breastfeeding is believed to be due to several factors – in action of breastfeeding but also the components of breast milk itself.
Babies who are breastfed are more easily aroused during active sleep than formula fed infants which is protective for a baby’s breathing and swallow mechanisms.
Breast milk contains immunoglobins and cytokines which help a baby’s immune system to fight infection. When a baby is born they have some immunity passed on from their mother however by 2 – 4 months of age (peak age for SIDS) a baby’s own levels of immunoglobin G are low and their maternally acquired levels are decreasing. Breast milk helps to boost these immunoglobins to help protect baby from infection.
Babies who are breastfed tend to have reduced respiratory and gastrointestinal infections. Infants whose deaths are attributed to SIDS and sudden unexpected deaths in infancy often have had a minor infection in the days before the death that was not sufficient alone to cause the death, but which may have contributed in some way.
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