NICHD ALERTS PARENTS TO WINTER SIDS RISK

The number of infants who die from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, or SIDS, increases in the cold winter months, according to the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), one of the National Institutes of Health. During these colder months, parents often place extra blankets or clothes on infants, hoping to provide them with more warmth. In fact, the extra material may actually increase infants’ risk for SIDS.
“Parents and caregivers should be careful not to put too many layers of sleep clothing or blankets on infants – or to keep room temperatures too warm – because overheating increases the risk of SIDS,” said Duane Alexander, M.D., Director of the NICHD. “Of course, parents and caregivers should always place infants to sleep on their backs for naps and at night.”
For more than a decade, the NICHD has led the “Back to Sleep” campaign, which recommends a number of ways to reduce the risk of SIDS. Unless there’s a medical reason not to, infants should be placed on their backs to sleep, on a firm mattress with no blankets or fluffy bedding under or over them. If a blanket is used, it should be placed no higher than the baby’s chest and be tucked in under the crib mattress. The baby’s crib and sleep area should be free of pillows and stuffed toys, and the temperature should be kept at a level that feels comfortable for an adult. Since the NICHD campaign began, the overall SIDS rate in the United States has declined by more than 50 percent.
Despite the campaign’s progress, SIDS is the leading cause of death in infants between 1 month and 1 year of age and claims the lives of approximately 2,500 infants each year. SIDS is the sudden unexplained death of an infant in the first year of life. Most SIDS deaths happen when babies are between two and four months of age. The causes of SIDS are still unclear, but it is possible to reduce factors that increase DIDS risk.
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recently issued updated recommendations for reducing the risk of SIDS:
• Always place your baby on his or her back to sleep, for naps and at night.
• Place your baby on a firm sleep surface, such as on a safety-approved crib mattress, covered by a fitted sheet.
• Keep soft objects, toys, and loose bedding out of your baby’s sleep area.
• Do not allow smoking around your baby.
• Keep your baby’s sleep area close to, but separate from, where you and others sleep.
• Consider offering a clean, dry pacifier when placing your baby on his or her back to sleep.
• Do not let your baby overheat during sleep.
• Avoid products that claim to reduce the risk of SIDS.
• Do not use home monitors to reduce the risk of SIDS.
• Reduce the chance that flat spots will develop on your baby’s head by providing “Tummy Time” when your baby is awake and someone is watching; changing the direction that your baby lies in the crib; and avoiding too much time in car seats, carriers, and bouncers.