South Valley Pediatrics

SIDS

PREVENTION OF SUDDEN INFANT DEATH SYNDROME

The Health Service of the United Kingdom, where much of recent work on sudden infant death syndrome has been done, has recently published a leaflet advising parents of steps that reduce the risk of this tragic disorder. The essence of that publication is:

Infants should sleep on their back or side until 18 months of age.
Parents should not fall asleep with an infant on the sofa.

Do not allow your baby to sleep in your bed if a parent:

smokes
has recently drunk alcohol
is excessively tired
has taken sedatives
Infant’s crib should be kept in parent’s bedroom for the first six months of life.
Avoid the use of pillows, duvets or loose bedding around your baby.

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