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SIDS: Safe Sleep Techniques for Your Newborn
SIDS: Safe Sleep Techniques for Your NewbornSudden Infant Death Syndrome – the sudden and unexplained death of a baby younger than one year old,usually while sleeping. Few things are more frightening for new parents. But parents and caregivers can helpreduce the risk of SIDS by creating a safe sleep environment for baby.The most important thing you can do is always place your baby on her back to sleep, both during naps and atnight. This is the safest sleep position and the one recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics. Ifyour baby rolls from her back to her side or stomach on her own, she can be left in that position.Make sure all caregivers, including grandparents, know that the only way to put your baby to sleep is on hisback. If your newborn has certain medical conditions, check with your pediatrician about the safest sleepingposition. Skin-to-skin contact with your newborn can also reduce the risk of SIDS. Skin-to-skin should be doneas soon after birth as possible, at least for the first hour. After that, skin-to-skin is wonderful when you areawake but if you need to put the baby to sleep, put her back in her bassinette on her back.Don’t let your baby sleep in a stroller, swing, or car seat, the safest place for him to sleep is in his crib orbassinette. Make sure your baby’s crib or bassinette mattress is flat and firm. Cover the mattress with a tightfitting sheet. Do not put blankets or pillows between the mattress and fitted sheet.Keep soft toys like stuffed animals, and soft bedding such as pillows, comforters and bumper pads out of thecrib or bassinet. These things could suffocate your baby or increase the risk of strangulation and entrapment.Never place your baby to sleep on a couch, sofa or armchair. This is a very dangerous place for your baby tosleep. It raises the risk of both SIDS and a falling injury. Share your room with your baby, but not the samebed. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends doing this for at least six months, but preferably untilyour baby is a year old. Room-sharing drops the risk of SIDS by as much 50%. Room sharing makes it easierfor you to feed, comfort and keep an eye on your little one.But remember sleeping in the same bed with your baby is dangerous. You can roll onto your baby during sleepor your baby can get tangled in the sheets or blankets. Only bring your baby into your bed to feed or comforthim. Make sure to remove pillows, blankets, or other soft bedding, in you case you fall asleep while feeding. Ifyou do fall asleep, move your baby back into him own bed as soon as you wake up.Don’t let your baby get too hot.“It’s also important to keep the room relatively cool, even a ceiling fan might be useful to keep the airmoving through the room.”If you are concerned your baby is cold, use a sleep sack. These are made to cover the body and not the head.Consider giving your baby a pacifier at nap time and bedtime.If you are breastfeeding, wait until breastfeeding is going smoothly before giving your baby a pacifier. Thisusually takes about 3 to 4 weeks. It’s okay if your baby doesn’t want to use one, some babies don’t likepacifiers. Don’t use pacifiers attached to clothing, stuffed toys, or blankets, these items could suffocate orchoke your baby.Schedule and keep your well-baby visits. Your baby will receive important immunizations. Research suggeststhat immunizations may protect against SIDS. Be careful when considering products that claim to reduce therisk of SIDS. There is no evidence that wedges, sleep positioners, and special mattresses work.This program is for informational purposes only. Publisher disclaims all guarantees regarding the accuracy, completeness,or suitability of this video for medical decision making. For all health related issues please contact your healthcare provider.VER56258C EN SIDSSafeSleepTechniquesforYourNewborn.pdf© The Wellness NetworkPage 1 of 2SIDS: Safe Sleep Techniques for Your NewbornIf you smoke, try to quit. Keep your baby away from smokers and places where people smoke. Setting up asafe sleep environment is the best way to keep your baby safe and healthy and reduce the risk of SIDS. Formore information on SIDS and how to reduce your baby’s risk, talk to your pediatrician.This program is for informational purposes only. Publisher disclaims all guarantees regarding the accuracy, completeness,or suitability of this video for medical decision making. For all health related issues please contact your healthcare provider.VER56258C EN SIDSSafeSleepTechniquesforYourNewborn.pdf© The Wellness NetworkPage 2 of 2
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