What are some protective factors to reduce sleep-related causes of infant death?
- First, any breastfeeding, compared to no breastfeeding at all, can protect against death from SIDS, and this protection increases the longer you breastfeed, which means it’s dose-responsive and that is significant. If you can breastfeed for six months, you actually decrease the risk of SIDS by 60 percent which is significant.
- Second, the longer you exclusively breastfeed, the better—and that’s the AAP (NEED TO SPELL OUT ACRONYM ON FIRST REFERENCE) recommendation. We don’t have data for exclusive breastfeeding at six months, but we know there’s a 54 percent risk reduction at four to six months, so the risk reduction at six months may be even greater than the 60 percent reduction we see for any breastfeeding.
- Room sharing reduces the risk of SIDS. Baby should not sleep in an adult bed, on a couch, or on a chair alone, with you, or with anyone else, including siblings or pets.
- If you bring your baby into your bed for feeding or comforting, remove all soft items and bedding from the area. When finished, put baby back in a separate sleep area (like a crib, bassinet or pack and play) made for infants and close to your bed.
- Items such as "crib bumpers", soft objects and toys are linked to serious injuries and deaths from suffocation, entrapment and strangulation so don’t use them. If you have them, dispose of them. The risk of SIDS and suffocation, entrapment and strangulation is significantly reduced for babies whose sleep areas are free of these items.
- Get regular prenatal care during pregnancy and avoid smoking , drinking alcohol, and using marijuana or illegal drugs during pregnancy or after the baby is born.
- When putting your baby down to sleep, dress him/her in sleep clothing (such as a wearable blanket) designed to keep them warm without the need for loose blankets in the sleep area. Always dress your baby appropriately for the environment and do not overbundle.
- Vaccines not only protect baby's health, but research shows that vaccinated babies are at lower risk for SIDS. So make sure your baby’s immunizations are always current.
- Pacifiers reduce the risk of SIDS for all babies; including breastfed babies. Be sure not to attach the pacifier to anything—like a string, clothing, stuffed toy or blanket—that carries a risk for suffocation, choking or strangulation. Wait until breastfeeding is well established (usually 3-to-4 weeks) before offering a pacifier. Or, if you’re not breastfeeding, offer the pacifier as soon as desired but don't force the baby to use it. If the pacifier falls out of the baby's mouth during sleep, there is no need to reinsert it.
- There is no evidence that swaddling reduces SIDS risk. In fact, swaddling can increase the risk of SIDS and other sleep-related causes of infant death.
- There is no scientific evidence to support the claims of safety or effectiveness of wedges, positioners or other related products that claim to keep infants in a specific position or to reduce the risk of SIDS, suffocation or reflux.