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Be aware of SIDS

August 20, 2007|Shawna Thomerson

August is SIDS Awareness Month.

SIDS stands for Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. It is the sudden and unexplained death of a baby under the age of one year.

Because many SIDS babies are found in their cribs, some people called it "crib death," but cribs do not cause SIDS. Health care professionals do not know what causes SIDS, but they do know that it is the leading cause of death in babies under one month of age. More SIDS deaths occur in colder months, and babies placed to sleep on their stomachs are much more likely to die of SIDS than babies placed on their backs to sleep.

There are several things that parents can do to lower the risk of SIDS, including:

- Place your baby on his or her back to sleep at nighttime and naptime, and be sure your baby's caregiver does the same.

- Your baby should sleep on a firm mattress, such as in a safety approved crib.

- Remove all fluffy and loose bedding from the sleep area. Take all pillows, toys, blankets and other soft items out of the crib.

- Make sure your baby's head and face stay uncovered during sleep.

- Don't smoke before or after the birth of your baby. Create a smoke-free zone around your baby and don't allow anyone to smoke around him or her.

- Don't let your baby overheat during sleep. Too many layers of clothing or blankets can overheat your child.

The Clark County Health Department also offers many different services for the health of your baby and family, including: information/support for breastfeeding as breast milk helps support your baby's health, well child and immunization exams for your baby's overall development and growth, smoking cessation programs, and HANDS services for first-time parents.

For more information, call the Health Department at 744-4482 or visit us on the Web at www.clarkhealthdept.org.

Shawna Thomerson is the HANDS program coordinator for the Clark County Health Department.

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