Sudden Infant Death Syndrome: Ways to reduce the risks

WASHINGTON - Sudden Infant Death Syndrome is the most common cause of early infant deaths in the U.S.

October is SIDS awareness month, and while the prevalence of Sudden Infant Death syndrome in the United States has decreased by 5 percent over the last 20 years, SIDS remains the leading cause of death for U.S. infants from 1-month to 1-year of age.

Dr. Shilpi Agarwal joined us with facts about SIDS and known ways to reduce the risks.

Facts:

-About 3,500 infants die suddenly and unexpectedly each year in the US from SIDS.

-Black and American Indian infants are twice as likely to die of SIDS as white infants.

-Leading cause of death for infants from 1-month to 1-years of age.

Reducing Risks:

-Place babies on their backs to sleep.

-Use a firm sleep surface and an approved crib.

-Share a room with your baby - not a bed.

-Keep soft objects, loose bedding out of the baby's sleep area

-Use a pacifier

-Keep room at 60-70 degrees

-Don't smoke during pregnancy

More about SIDS from the CDC: http://www.cdc.gov/SIDS/index.htm