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.