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Infant sleep-related deaths, including Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), are a leading cause of death for children under one year of age in Franklin County. Too many babies are dying in unsafe sleep environments and these deaths are preventable. There are steps parents and caregivers can take to reduce the risk of infant sleep-related deaths.

October is SIDS, Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month. SIDS is the sudden, unexpected death of a seemingly healthy infant under one year of age that seems to have happened for no reason.

SIDS is sometimes called crib death. However, cribs do not cause SIDS and more cases of SIDS occur when the baby is not sleeping in the crib. SIDS claims the lives of thousands of American babies each year—nearly one baby for every 1,000 live births. Currently, SIDS can not be predicted. Victims of infant sleep-related deaths, including SIDS, appear healthy before their death.

Since the national Back To Sleep Campaign was launched in 1994, SIDS rates have declined by more than 50%; however, it remains a leading cause of death in infants, and still claims the lives of over 2,000 babies each year. Infant sleep-related deaths, including SIDS, occur in all socio-economic, racial and ethnic groups.

Make Sure Where Your Child Sleeps is Safe

• Always place your baby on his or her back to sleep, even for naps.
• Use a safety-approved crib with a firm, tight fitting mattress covered with only a sheet.
• Remove all soft, fluffy or loose bedding & toys (including blankets, soft or fluffy bumpers and positioners).
• Do not put your baby to sleep on any soft surface (sofas, chairs, waterbeds, quilts, blankets, sheepskins, etc.).
• Don’t put soft objects, toys, or loose bedding in your baby’s sleep area.
• No smoking around your baby.
• Keep your baby’s sleep area close to, but away from, where you and others sleep. Room sharing is safer than bed sharing.
• Use a clean, dry pacifier when putting your baby down to sleep.
• Make sure your baby doesn’t get too hot and dress your baby in light sleep clothing.
• Keep baby’s room temperature 68 - 72^o F.
• Educate relatives, baby-sitters and other caregivers about these important safety tips.

Remember the ABCs of safe sleep! Babies are safest: Alone; On their Backs; In their own safety approved Cribs

More information on infant safe sleep:

• National Institute of Child and Human Development: http://www.nichd.nih.gov/publications/pubs/safe_sleep_gen.cfm
• SID Network of Ohio: http://www.sidsohio.org/
• Council on Healthy Mothers and Babies: http://www.healthymothersandbabies.org/sids.htm
• CJ Foundation for SIDS: http://www.cjsids.org/
• U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission: 1-800-638-2772, http://www.cpsc.gov/CPSCPUB/PUBS/5030.pdf
• First Candle http://www.firstcandle.org/

For more information on the Franklin County Infant Safe Sleep and SIDS Risk Reduction Initiative, contact Karen Gray at 614.645.2134 or kareng@columbus.gov