October means many things: the coming of fall, crisp air, leaves changing colors, and children getting excited about dressing up for Halloween. However, October also means spreading the word about SIDS Awareness Month. SIDS, or Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, refers to the sudden, unexpected death of a baby under the age of one. SIDS is the leading cause of death among infants in the United States. There is no specific cause of SIDS. It is the diagnosis given after every other cause of death is ruled out and often occurs during sleep. Although there isn’t one single cause, medical experts have identified many risk factors that can be a contributor to SIDS.  The purpose of SIDS Awareness month is to get the information out to parents and other care takers, so they can be informed and take all the right steps to hopefully reduce the risk of these tragic losses from happening.

 

There are many steps that parents can take to keep their baby safe while sleeping and research shows that when these steps are taken, SIDS rates are reduced. Some of these steps include: Mother getting quality prenatal care, refraining from smoking while pregnant as well as not exposing baby to smoke after birth, keeping hands washed to prevent respiratory infections,  dressing baby in light layers and keeping room at a comfortable temperature, making sure crib sheet is tight with no blankets, bumpers and stuffed animals in the crib, always placing baby on its back to sleep, and sharing these steps as well as other steps with anyone who provides care to a baby.

 

The CDC and the National Institutes of Health are working together on a campaign called “Safe to Sleep”. The Safe to Sleep campaign includes outreach and educational activities aimed at reducing the amount of deaths from SIDS and other sleep-related causes. Be sure to visit their website for more information and spread the word about SIDS and safe sleep during the month of October!