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SIDS Safety Alert |
County Coroner Daniel Oxford would like to advise parents of infants about the dangers of co-sleeping or improper bedding which may lead to suffocation.
If your baby is under 12 months old, you can help prevent SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome), suffocation, and strangulation by following these safety tips:
• Place your baby to sleep on his/her back.
• Remove all soft bedding from the crib.
• Put your baby to sleep in a safe crib.
Do you need more information?
Babies who sleep on their backs have a much lower risk of dying from SIDS and suffocation. Always put your baby to
sleep on its back.(This includes naps.) DO NOT put a baby to sleep on its stomach. Side sleeping is unstable and should also be avoided. Allowing the baby to
roll around on its tummy while awake can prevent a flat spot (due to sleeping in one position) from forming on the back of the head.
Avoid soft bedding materials. Babies should be placed on a firm, tight-fitting crib mattress with no comforter.
Use a light sheet to cover the baby. Do not use pillows, comforters, or quilts.
Only put babies to sleep in a crib. NEVER allow the baby to sleep in bed with other children or adults,
and do NOT put them to sleep on surfaces other than cribs, like a sofa.
Make sure the room temperature is not too hot. The room temperature should be comfortable for a lightly-clothed
adult. A baby should not be hot to the touch.
Keep your baby in a smoke free/drug free environment.
If you are not already trained, learn CPR - this goes for not just parents but also caregivers.
A safe crib is the best place for your baby to sleep.
Make sure that your crib is safe by checking for the following:
• Make sure that there is no missing or broken hardware.
• Make sure that slats are no more than 2 3/8" (inches) apart
• Make sure that corner post are NOT over 1/16" (inch) high.
• Make sure there are no cutout designs in the headboard or foot board.
• Make sure that the matress is tight fitting and firm.
• Make sure that a safety certification seal is on any new crib that you purchase.
• Click here for the Coroner's Main Page
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