When can I stop worrying about SIDS? | Baby Sleep Advice for Parents & Kids (2024)

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When can I stop worrying about SIDS? | Baby Sleep Advice for Parents & Kids? ›

SIDS is less common after 8 months of age, but parents and caregivers should continue to follow safe sleep practices to reduce the risk of SIDS and other sleep-related causes of infant death until baby's first birthday.

SIDS is less common after 8 months of age, but parents and caregivers should continue to follow safe sleep practices to reduce the risk of SIDS and other sleep-related causes of infant death until baby's first birthday.

By the time a baby turns 12 months old, the risk of sudden death is negligible. Here are recommendations for reducing the risk of SIDS: a) Avoid exposing your baby to cigarette smoke before or after birth. b) Avoid falling asleep with your baby in dangerous environment (bed, chair, or sofa).

When does the risk decrease? Around 89% of SIDS deaths happen when a baby is six months old or less. The most vulnerable period is under 3 months but it is important to follow safer sleep advice until your baby is 12 months old.

This growth may be evident like the sleep and awake patterns, or very subtle changes may be seen like changes in respiration, blood pressure or temperature. The peak incidence of SIDS occurs between 1 – 4 months of age; 90% of cases occur before 6 months of age. Babies continue to be at risk for SIDS up to 12 months.

As unsettling as it is, SIDS can't be caught or predicted ahead of time. But you can protect your baby by avoiding known risk factors, including: An unsafe sleep environment. Infants who sleep on their tummies or sides; sleep with loose bedding, pillows or soft toys; or sleep in a too-warm room may be more susceptible.

SIDS peaks at 2-4 months, is more prevalent in the winter months and typically occurs in the early morning hours when most babies are asleep, suggesting that sleep may be part of the pathophysiological mechanism of SIDS.

Also, there is no definite age cut off, but as baby grows & can move & lift head & change head position, the risk reduces…..

SIDS has no symptoms or warning signs. Babies who die of SIDS seem healthy before being put to bed. They show no signs of struggle and are often found in the same position as when they were placed in the bed.

These include having a smoke-free environment, letting your baby use a pacifier, keeping them up to date on recommended immunizations, and breastfeeding or the use of human milk. Providing human milk to your baby for at least 2 months can decrease the risk of SIDS by 50%!

What are two ways to minimize the risk of SIDS? ›

If possible, the family needs to understand that SIDS deaths occur and there's no way to either predict these deaths or prevent them. Further, they need to understand that the baby is beyond medical care and attempting resuscitation measures won't bring back their child.

During wintry months, you may be tempted to wrap your baby in extra blankets and warm clothes before sleep. But take care. Over-bundling may cause infants to overheat, increasing their risk for sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS)—the third leading cause of infant death.

SIDS stands for sudden infant death syndrome. SIDS is the sudden and unexplained death of an infant between the ages of 1 month and 1 year old that doesn't have a known cause, even after a complete investigation.

Shaken baby injuries most often occur in children younger than 2 years old, but may be seen in children up to 5 years old. When an infant or toddler is shaken, the brain bounces back and forth against the skull. This can cause bruising of the brain (cerebral contusion), swelling, pressure, and bleeding in the brain.

Goodstein said, when babies sleep in the same room as their parents, the background sounds or stirrings prevent very deep sleep and that helps keeps the babies safe. Room sharing also makes breast-feeding easier, which is protective against SIDS.

Breastfeeding has been shown to reduce the occurrence of SIDS by over 50 percent by improving the immune system, promoting brain growth, reducing reflux and a variety of other factors. While six months of breastfeeding is recommended, only two months of breastfeeding is required to significantly cut the risk of SIDS.