Spotlight On SIDS: 3 Ways To Prevent Sudden Infant Death Syndrome

If you have a newborn, then it is important to learn how to keep your child from dying of sudden infant death syndrome, or SIDS. While deaths from SIDS n the United States have declined since the early 90s, an average of 3,500 babies die in their sleep every year, many of those deaths stemming from SIDs. 

The good news is that there are several steps you can take to protect your child from sudden infant death syndrome. Read on to learn three ways to keep your child from becoming another SIDS statistic. 

1. Ensure Your Child Sleeps on Their Back Every Night

One of the most effective ways to protect your child from sudden infant death syndrome is to ensure that they sleep on their back every single night. While many parents know that their children should always sleep on their backs, a recent study revealed that only 44 percent of all parents ensure that their newborns sleep on their backs every single night and during every single nap. 

If your child is resistant to sleeping on their back in their crib, then you can help them transition to back sleeping by allowing them to fall asleep on your chest on their back before transferring them to their crib or lull them to sleep in your arms on their back. 

If your child simply will not sleep on their back, no matter how you encourage it, then SIDS experts recommend that they sleep on their side. 

2. Allow Your Child to Sleep with Their Pacifier

If your child loves their pacifier, but you take it out of their mouth before they sleep at night or nap, then realize that allowing them to suck on their pacifier while sleeping can decrease the chance of them dying from SIDS by as much as 90 percent

3. Try a SIDS Prevention Monitor

There are many types of SIDS prevention monitors on the market, many that monitor infant breathing. However, there is a new type of SIDS monitor on the market that monitors more of your newborn babies vital signs, including their heart rate and blood oxygen level, while they sleep and sends a signal to your smartphone if their vital signs show a potential danger to their health. 

To equip your baby with this monitor, all  you have to do is place a special sock on them before they lie down to sleep. The sock then connects wirelessly to your cell phone, and you can receive updates on your baby's health on command after downloading a simple app that comes with the device.  

If you have a newborn baby, then realize that, while SID deaths have declined since the early 90s, thousands of babies still die of sudden infant death syndrome each year. Take these three steps to prevent SIDS and keep your baby healthy while they are sleeping. Contact a clinic, like Ada Pediatrics PA, for more help.


Share