HEALTH
S
udden infant death syndrome (SIDS)
rates have decreased by 50% in the
U.S. following the critical 1994 “Back
to Sleep” campaign, which promotes safe
sleep practices, but the country still sees
more than 1,000 SIDS deaths every year.
As October is Sudden Infant Death
Syndrome (SIDS) Awareness Month, it’s
important for parents, grandparents, care-
givers and babysitters to brush up on SIDS
guidelines to help promote a healthy sleep
environment for infants.
While it’s well-known that healthy babies
should be placed on their backs to sleep to
reduce the risk of SIDS, new and emerging
research is showing more steps that parents
can take to help prevent SIDS deaths.
Dr. Brian Gendelman of Edgewood
Center Pediatrics in Commerce
Township shares the latest data,
in addition to tried-and-true
safe sleep practices that par-
ents of infants should consider
implementing in their own
homes.
SIDS PREVENTION
SIDS is an “unexplained sudden death” of
an infant, Gendelman says. “There’s no sign
of abuse or finding medically on an autopsy
that gives a cause of death.
”
While SIDS is undoubtedly one of the
biggest fears that new parents face, there are
numerous prevention strategies that dra-
matically lower the risk.
First and foremost: a reiteration that
sleeping a baby on their back, or in the
supine position, can reduce the risk of SIDS
by two-thirds, Gendelman says.
In addition, infants should sleep on a
firm mattress and alone in a crib (mean-
ing no blankets, toys or bumpers), which
experts recommend should be placed in a
parents’ bedroom until at least six months
of age, but ideally for a full year.
Some data shows that sharing a room can
reduce the risk of SIDS by as much as 50%
compared with sleeping in separate rooms
or sharing an adult bed (co-sleeping, which
Gendelman strongly discourages as this can
increase risk).
Having your baby near you can make
it easier for you to check on your infant
throughout the night, as the majority of
Steps parents and caregivers can take
to reduce SIDS risk.
Preventing
SIDS
Dr. Brian
Gendelman
ASHLEY ZLATOPOLSKY CONTRIBUTING WRITER
40 | OCTOBER 26 • 2023 J
N
Babies should
sleep on their
backs in a crib
without toys or
blankets.