Parents

1. Place infants to sleep on their backs, even though infants may sleep more soundly on their
stomachs. Infants who sleep on their stomachs and sides have a higher rate of SIDS than infants
who sleep on their backs.

2. Place infants to sleep in a baby bed with a firm mattress. There should be nothing in the bed but
the baby - no covering, no pillows, no bumper pads and no toys. Soft mattresses and heavy covering
are associated with the risk for SIDS.

3. Do not over-clothe the infant while he/she sleeps. Keep the room at a temperature that is
comfortable for you. Overheating an infant may increase the risk for SIDS.

Remember Olivia

SIDS Information

4. Avoid exposing the infant to tobacco smoke. Don't have your infant in the same house or car with someone who is
smoking. The greater the exposure to tobacco smoke, the greater the risk of SIDS.

5. Breast-feed babies whenever possible. Breast milk decreases the occurrence of respiratory and gastrointestinal
infections. Studies show that breast-fed babies have a lower SIDS rate than formula-fed babies do.

6. Avoid exposing the infant to people with respiratory infections. Avoid crowds. Carefully clean anything that comes in
contact with the baby. Have people wash their hands before holding or playing with your baby. SIDS often occurs in
association with relatively minor respiratory (mild cold) and gastrointestinal infections (vomiting and diarrhea).

7. Consider using home monitoring systems (apnea/bradycardia monitors) in an attempt to prevent sudden death in high-risk
infants.The risk of SIDS in the following groups exceeds that of the general population by as much as 5 to 10 times:

Infants born weighing less than 3.5 pounds.
Infants whose sibling died of SIDS.
Infants exposed to cocaine, heroin, or methadone during the pregnancy.
The second or succeeding child born to a teenage mother.
Infants who have had an apparent life-threatening event.

Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of home monitoring with the baby's doctor before making your choice. Many
communities have specialized programs for the clinical management of babies at high risk for SIDS. For information about
the availability of such programs in your area, ask your baby's doctor or contact the American SIDS Institute.