Expert gives advice on how to prevent SIDS deaths

ACADEMY OF PEDIATRICS FOUND SUDDEN INFANT DEATH SYNDROME IS THE NUMBER ONE CAUSE OF DEATH FOR NEWBORNS. ABOUT 60% OF CASES OCCURRED WHEN BABIES WERE SHARING SLEEP SURFACES. NEW HAMPSHIRE SLEEP CONSULTANT CHRISTINE BROWN JOINS US LIVE. AND, CHRISTINE, THAT STUDY ALSO FOUND 76% OF THOSE DEATHS WERE IN AN ADULT BED. WHAT DO PARENTS AND CAREGIVERS NEED TO BE AWARE OF TO PREVENT THESE DEATHS? YEAH, WE DON’T 100% KNOW THEY’RE MAKING MAJOR PROGRESS WITH FIGURING OUT EXACTLY WHAT CAUSES SUDDEN INFANT DEATH SYNDROME, BUT THEY’RE NOT 100% SURE. BUT WE DO KNOW THAT THERE’S RISK FACTORS THAT INCREASE THE RISK. AND SO THERE ARE ALSO PREVENTATIVE THINGS THAT WE CAN DO TO DECREASE THE RISK. AND SO IF YOU CAN THINK OF NOTHING ELSE WHEN YOU’RE THINKING ABOUT SAFE SLEEP FOR BABIES, YOU WANT TO REMEMBER THE ABCS OF SAFE SLEEP. SO A STANDS FOR WE WANT BABIES SLEEPING ON THEIR BACK IN THEIR OWN SLEEP SPACE WITH NO OTHER PEOPLE SLEEPING THERE WITH THEM. AND WE WANT THAT SLEEP SPACE TO BE A BASSINET OR A CRIB OR A PACK AND PLAY TYPE. UM, THE SECOND IS WE WANT TO PUT OUR LITTLE ONES DOWN ON THEIR BACKS. UM, SO THIS DECREASES THE RISK OF SUFFOCATION. AND SO ONCE BABIES ARE ABLE TO ROLL FRONT TO BACK AND BACK TO FRONT, THEY CAN CHOOSE THEIR SLEEP POSITION. BUT UNTIL THEN, WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY’RE SLEEPING ON THEIR BACKS. AND LAST C STANDS FOR CRIBS. SO WE WANT THE CRIB OR THE SLEEP ENVIRONMENT TO, UM, BE NOTHING BUT THE BABY IN A SLEEP SACK ON A FIRM MATTRESS WITH A FITTED SHEET. SO WE WANT TO AVOID ANY BUMPER PADS, BLANKETS, PILLOWS, POSITIONERS TOYS, ANYTHING LIKE THAT. WE WANT TO JUST MAKE SURE IT’S REALLY SAFE. NOTHING IN THERE THAT THEY COULD POTENTIALLY GET STRANGLED WITH OR SUFFOCATE ON. GOOD POINT CHRISTINE. SOMETIMES, AS YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU BRING A NEWBORN HOME, EVERYBODY IS SO EXHAUSTED. AND POTENTIALLY THIS NEWBORN IS FUSSY, CAN’T CALM DOWN UNLESS THE NEWBORN IS ON TOP OF YOU OR RIGHT NEXT TO YOU. SO YOU MAKE GREAT POINTS ABOUT WHY YOU NEED TO AVOID THAT. BUT WHAT ARE SOME SUGGESTIONS FOR PARENTS TO DO, MAYBE EVEN BEFORE BEDTIME ROLLS AROUND SO THEY CAN MAKE SURE THEY SET UP SOME STANDARDS OF SAFETY FOR THEIR BABIES? YEAH. SO FIRST IS WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE ROOM THAT THEY’RE SLEEPING IN IS A COOLER TEMPERATURE. SO ADULTS AND CHILDREN AND BABIES SLEEP BEST IN BETWEEN 68 TO 72 DEGREES. UM, NEXT IS IF WE ARE A TEAM FEED YOUR BABY HERE. BUT IF YOUR LITTLE ONE IS BREASTFEEDING, THAT HAS SHOWN TO HAVE A PROTECTIVE FACTOR. UM, ALSO OFFERING A PACIFIER AT NAP TIME AND BEDTIME CAN HAVE A PROTECTIVE FACTOR AS WELL. BUT IF YOUR BABY DOESN’T LIKE IT, YOU DON’T HAVE TO FORCE IT. AND LAST IS IMMUNIZATIONS HAVE SHOWN TO DECREASE THE LIKELIHOOD OF SIDS BY ABOUT 50%. SO IF THAT’S A CHOICE YOUR FAMILY IS MAKING THAT CAN DEFINITELY HAVE A PROTECTIVE FACTOR. AND AT WHAT AGE IS IT TYPICALLY SAFE TO ALLOW YOUNG YOUNG CHILDREN TO SHARE SLEEP SPACES? UM, IF THE ADULTS ARE AWAKE, THEY CAN SHARE SLEEP SPACES. BUT WHEN BABIES ARE SLEEPING, UM, IDEALLY WE DON’T WANT TO DO ANYTHING UNTIL 12 MONTHS. PLUS WE DON’T WANT TO DO ANY BED SHARING. UNTIL THEN. GOOD ADVICE. CHRISTINE BROWN SLEEP CONSULTANT WITH BELLA LUNA FAMILY PLEASUR