How to Keep Babies from Suffocating

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By Virginia Allain
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Article Rating: (5 Ratings)

Babies should sleep on their backs

A recent study shows an increase in babies dying while sleeping. These sudden infant deaths in many cases are preventable. Here's what you can do to protect your baby from crib death or infant suffocation.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Step 1

Babies should sleep alone

Babies are safer sleeping alone. When they sleep with someone, there is risk of the person rolling over onto the baby and suffocating it. It's particularly dangerous if the person has used alcohol or drugs or sleeping pills which makes them unaware that they've rolled over onto the baby.
Step 2

Watch out for pillows or stuffed animals

The study recommends that babies sleep on "a flat mattress, with no loose pillows or blankets and in a crib with bars designed to prevent entrapment."
Step 3

Doctors, nurses and health workers in many countries advise parents to put babies to sleep on their backs and not to overheat the room and to keep loose blankets and pillows away from infants. In those countries, the number of crib deaths drops.
Step 4

Babies should not sleep on their sides

Putting a baby to sleep on a bed with a cushy comforter and pillows on it is risky. A baby can suffocate when it's face is covered by fabric. Infants also die from falling between the bed and the wall or getting their head caught in the bedframe.
Step 5

Run a fan in baby's room. A recent study showed a drop of over 70% in crib deaths if there was a fan going in the room where the baby slept.
Step 6

Give up smoking and don't let anyone smoke in the house. Secondhand smoke also seems to increase the risk.

Comments

vallain said

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on 9/21/2009 If someone drinks or uses drugs, they aren't aware that they are rolling onto the baby in bed.

Susanh said

on 2/1/2009 An excellent article on a very important topic. 5*****

LEJockimo said

on 2/1/2009 Actually, babies sleep best with their mothers, but not their fathers or siblings. Your picture demonstrates perfectly why it's best that only mom snuggle baby - dad's are just too big and not hard-wired to be aware of baby in their sleep!