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What is SIDS?

SIDS stands for sudden infant death syndrome or cot death.  It is the sudden, unexpected and unexplained death of a baby during sleep.  In New Zealand it is the main cause of death of babies.


All Babies Need Protection

SIDS can happen to any baby.  It happens more to babies:

• under six months of age

• born premature or a low birth weight

• in smoking families

• with very young mothers

• in families with not much support

Protection is Important

In Families / Whanau

Protection starts in families.  Young people need families to prepare them to care for a child and to support them to do what is best.

In Pregnancy

The best protection comes when pregnancy is smokefree.  Smoking less can help a lot, too.

In Sleep

SIDS happens when babies sleep.  This article gives ways to increase safety during sleep.  These things become even more important for babies who have extra risks due to smoking, prematurity or low birth weight.


How Safe is Our Baby?

Safety from SIDS starts in pregnancy.  The safest babies:

• are smokefree from conception

• always sleep face-up

• sleep with a clear face and head

What if We Smoke?

The good news is that safety increases as smoking reduces.  A baby's safety can be greatly increased if parents, and other in the family who smoke, keep these three rules:

• stop smoking (reducing helps, too)

• delay sleeping together with their baby for the first 6 months

• let nobody smoke near their baby

Other SIDS Information

SIDS is studied all over the world.

Some findings are more important than others.  Experts around the world agree that the findings above are the main ones.  Others may become more important with more research.

Breastfeeding.

Breastmilk nourishes a baby and protects against frequent and serious illness.  Some studies show breastfed babies are also safer from SIDS.

Dummies.

Sucking a dummy may help prevent SIDS.  More research is needed to clarify this finding.


Back is Best

Babies are safest from SIDS when they sleep on their backs.  The back is twice as safe as the side and six times safer than the front.

What about choking?

Sleeping babies are not unconscious.  They protect their airways with reflexes such as gagging and swallowing.  Studies show that these reflexes are stronger when babies sleep face-up.

A clear face is important

A baby's face and head are important for breathing and cooling.  The face and head need to stay clear and not get covered during sleep.

What about flat heads?

A baby's soft skull can change shape from too much time spent resting on the same spot.  Gently turning the head each sleep to vary the resting spot will prevent the head from changing shape.

Back is best because it gives:

• best protection from SIDS (cot death)

• best chance to breathe easily

• best chance to protect airways

• best chance to cool if a baby gets too hot

• best position to prevent rolling to the front

• best position to prevent slipping under covers

• best view on waking!

Side Adds Risk

Side sleepers change positions most of all.  it is rolling to the front that makes the side unsafe.

Side is now part of the problem

In the past, the safety message was 'not on the tummy'.  Hundreds of babies were saved by that.  Now, it is 'back is best'.  many more lives could be saved if most babies slept on their backs.

Extra risk for first timers

There is an extra risk for babies who usually sleep on the side, but who roll to the front for the first time, or are placed there now and then.

False security in arm position

A large UK study found that having the underneath arm well forward did NOT protect against rolling to the front.  In the past, this has been advised to make the side position safer.


'Tummy time'

Time on the tummy is important when awake.  It gives a baby the chance to practise lifting the head clear and moving it from side to side.  These skills help to protect the airways if problems arise.


Exceptions

There will always be babies with special needs.  A different sleep position may be part of their care for a time.  These are exceptions.  When they are over their problems the best sleep position is face-up.  Your baby's doctor can advise you.


Ways to Keep Me Safe in Sleep

Position

Lay me face-up.

Head

Vary the resting spot of my head sleep by sleep.

Face

Make sure my face and head stay uncovered.

Surface

Avoid soft places like water beds and bean bags.

Air

Give me clean air to breathe - free from smoke.

Mattress

Use a firm, clean mattress with a snug fit - no gaps.

Bedding

Tuck me securely - safe from loose covers, duvets or pillows.