Reducing SIDS Risks
We talked about co- sleeping recently and the risk of SIDS. I did not co-sleep with my kids, I didn’t feel comfortable doing so. That is not to say I didn’t have many a night, in my almost four year career as a parent, where I had a child (or two) in my bed.
If you feel that co sleeping is what is best for you and your family, here are some guidelines to follow for the safety of your baby.
Always put a baby on their backs to sleep
Do not overheat any room that a baby sleeps in, the room should be comfortable for a lightly clothed adult.
Keep quilts, blankets and pillows out of babies sleeping environment
Make sure that there is no place your child could be wedged in
Do not smoke
Do not sleep with your child if you take sleep medication or have been drinking
Do not let pets sleep in the bed with you and the baby
Never let the baby sleep on a couch, waterbed or inflatable mattress
Also try introducing a pacifier at bed and nap times. It has been proven to reduce the risk of SIDS.
There is a new study out of the SIDS Center of New Jersey at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. They studied 239 babies that died from SIDS between 1996 and 2000. They found that 39% of babies died of SIDS while sharing a bed or couch either with another child or adult.
co-sleeping, SIDS, SIDS risks, infants, mothers, sharing a bed, safety, safety guidlines, sleep
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