Health Tip: Reduce Your Child's Risk of SIDS

(HealthDay News) -- Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) is the sudden death of an infant, usually occurring during sleep, which cannot be explained after investigation and autopsy.

Although the cause of SIDS is unknown, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has identified some risk factors to avoid:

• Sleeping on the stomach or side.
• Sleeping on soft surfaces, such as waterbeds, couches, sofas or pillows.
• Sleeping with pillows or loose bedding, such as comforters, quilts and blankets.
• Infants who have overheated as a result of being overdressed at bedtime.
• Babies of mothers who smoke, and low birth weight or preterm babies.
• Sharing a bed, or sleeping outside of a crib.

-- Diana Kohnle

Last Updated: April 27, 2006