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What is SIDS?
Sudden
Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) is
a medical term that describes the sudden death of an infant which
remains unexplained after all known and possible causes have been
carefully ruled out through autopsy, death scene investigation,
and review of the medical history.
SIDS is the leading cause of death among infants who are 1
month to 1 year old, with most deaths occurring between 2 and 4
months of age. African-American
infants are twice as likely and Native-American infants are about
three times more likely to die of SIDS than Caucasian infants.
More boys than girls die of SIDS and the incidence
increases during cold weather.
Although many studies have been conducted to learn why SIDS
occurs, there is still much speculation concerning the cause(s)
and the widespread belief is that there is no one explanation, but
probably a combination.
While there are no clear-cut causes, authorities believe
there are measures that can be taken to reduce the risk of SIDS:
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Place
your healthy baby on his/her back to sleep--for nap-time as
well as night-time.
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Your
baby should be placed on a safety-approved firm mattress to
sleep with only a fitted crib sheet.
Remove all excess blankets, comforters, stuffed toys
and/or pillows from your baby’s sleep space.
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When
possible, breastfeed. Additionally,
put your baby to sleep with a pacifier (if (s)he rejects it,
do not force it).
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Remember,
room-sharing is o.k., but bed-sharing is not.
If you bring your baby into your bed to feed/nurse,
make sure to return him to his crib/bassinet.
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