Sudden infant death syndrome. Something no parent wants to even think about. But as a nurse there is no way I could not talk about this. I am a huge advocator of the SIDS campaign. I follow the regulations of safe sleep to the tee and preach it to everyone I know. Some people don't take it as serious and think "My mom did that for years with me and nothing happened". Well guess what? Our moms were lucky nothing happened. They didn't have all the information as we do now. There weren't enough studies done on this issue, if any at all. We now know that certain factors increase the risk of SIDS, so why not just follow the recommendations. Why use the cute crib bumpers, if they pose a risk? No baby has ever died from bumping their head on the crib, but they have from suffocation from crib bumpers.See for yourself Here. What's worse a bump on the head or your baby suffocating?...come on! Some states have already banned the sale of crib bumpers. It won't be long before all states do the same. Just skip them. If you are worried about your baby's legs getting stuck. Put a Wearable Blanket on like we did with Brianna.
Same goes with toys.Why add toys or possible dangers into your babies cribs. They don't need those things to sleep. Our crib is as bare as can be. Yes Brianna looks hideous in it. She's so tiny in this huge open space but she feels snug and safe in her wearable blanket. Here are some other factors that have been linked to a baby's increased risk of SIDS, provided by PubMed Health:
- Sleeping on the stomach
- Being around cigarette smoke while in the womb or after being born
- Sleeping in the same bed as their parents (co-sleeping)
- Soft bedding in the crib
- Multiple birth babies (being a twin, triplet, etc.)
- Premature birth
- Having a brother or sister who had SIDS
- Mothers who smoke or use illegal drugs
- Being born to a teen mother
- Short time period between pregnancies
- Late or no prenatal care
- Living in poverty situations
The SIDS or "Back to Sleep" campaign is a national campaign launched in 1994 to help promote positioning babies on their backs to sleep, to reduce sudden infant death syndrome. Studies have shown that that since the campaign the SIDS rate has dropped from 75% to less than 25%. Always place your baby on their back to sleep.
Bare Crib
No toys, blankets, pillows, or anything besides a tight fitting sheet. Yes that means no crib bumpers either. Just a bare crib. This is what it should look like according to the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD). If you are worried about how your nursery will look because you still want it to look cute. A company called "Skip Hop" makes bumper free bedding take a look HERE
Other ways to reduce SIDS provided by NIH
