What is SIDS?

SIDS stands for Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. You may have heard of crib or cot death instead. But all these terms mean the same thing.

They are used to explain a horrible condition where a perfectly healthy infant (1-12 months old) suddenly dies for no apparent reason.

This ignited the "Back to Sleep" campaign starting in the late 1980's. Studies showed that the safest sleeping position for your baby is on his/her back.

You're probably thinking........"What are some of the risk factors?". From what I have read experts are not even sure themselves. Here's the best list of possible risk factors that I have researched:

Infants sleeping on their stomachs
Babies that have more serotonin-releasing neurons in their brain stem
Common bacterial infections (especially between 8-10 weeks after birth)
Breathing in leached toxic chemicals from a non organic crib mattress
Exposure to tobacco smoke
Lack of proper nutrition during pregnancy
High room temperature
Not breastfeeding

Read more on the other benefits of breastfeeding from one of our knowledgeable experts. Here are the sudden infant death syndrome risk reducing recommendations that I follow with my baby. One of the ways I have managed to reduce the risks for my little one was by investing in an Angelcare Monitor. I really like this device because it detects even the slightest movements.

Here's some more information about specific models of Angelcare Monitors that may help you out a bit more with your decision. For additional safety, I also picked up a monitor that has a built in LCD screen. You may also find this fisher price baby monitors article helpful. What about sony baby monitors? They have some pretty good products as well.

SIDS to Crib Mattress Guide