Sudden Infant Death Syndrome is, according to the national Sudden Infant Death Syndrome Resource Center, “the sudden death of an infant under 1 year of age which remains unexplained after a thorough case investigation, including performance of a complete autopsy, examination of the death scene, and review of the clinical history” (Willinger et al., 1991:681).
It is sudden, silent, occurs during sleep, and is sometimes called “crib death”. Since most daycare programs and preschools involve naptime, daycare providers and preschool teachers must be aware of SIDS, SIDS risk, and what they can do to prevent SIDS.
SIDS Statistics
According to the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) SIDS is the primary cause of death in children between 1 month and 1 year of age. Approximately 2000 babies in the United States die each year from SIDS. In comparison to white babies, African American babies are more than twice as likely and American Indian/Alaskan Native babies are about 3 times as likely to die of SIDS. The majority of SIDS deaths occur between 2 and 4 months of age [National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, 2006].
The “Back to Sleep” campaign was designed to reach millions of parents to explain the importance of back sleeping and other safe sleep practices.
The campaign was created in 1994 by the American Academy of Pediatrics, U.S. Public Health Service, SIDS Alliance, and the Association of SIDS and Infant Mortality Programs.
Since the launch of the campaign, SIDS death rates have dropped more than 50 percent and stomach sleeping has decreased from 70 to 15 percent, according to National Center for Health Statistics.
How to Reduce the Risk of SIDS
The “Back to Sleep” campaign literature includes a pamphlet titled Safe Sleep for Your Baby: Ten Ways to Reduce the Risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome [National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, 2006]. While SIDS is not preventable, there are some ways to reduce SIDS risk. Some important information from this pamphlet that child care providers and preschool teachers should heed:
- Always place babies on their back when they sleep. Even side sleeping is discouraged.
- Infants should be placed on a firm mattress or sleep surface with a fitted sheet. Do not place babies on pillows or quilts or other soft surfaces.
- Don’t put soft items in with the bed with the child. This means no soft toys, no loose blankets, and keep any other items away from the child’s face.
- Infants should be dressed appropriately warm. This means light sleepwear so that the infant does not overheat. The NICHD recommends that the room temperature be comfortable for an adult
For more information about daycare safety, see articles in the Daycare Regulations section.
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