Baby Blankets & SIDS Prevention
SIDS or Sudden Infant Death Syndrome is a seriously scary thing for any parent to think about. It is the name we use to describe when a seemingly healthy baby or young child goes to sleep at night and doesn’t wake up. SIDS is sometimes attributed to unsafe sleeping environments, and this is what we’ll be discussing here. This content may be upsetting but it is important to understand the risks of sleeping babies with blankets and other objects before they’re ready (plus other risks that have been thought to attribute to SIDS deaths).
Is my baby at risk of SIDS?
The hard truth is that all babies are at risk of SIDS. Some are more at risk than others due to having unknown or undiagnosed medical problems. Sometimes it can be attributed to certain developmental stages and environmental stresses. In these cases, it’s very hard to prepare or prevent a baby from succumbing to SIDS. What we can do is make sure our little ones sleeping environment is safe and free of things that may be contributing factors to healthy babies being affected by this horrible syndrome.
Baby Blankets & SIDS Prevention
Baby blankets have been known as a very common factor in SIDS related deaths. If a baby blanket is introduced to the baby’s sleeping environment before they are ready, they may become entangled in it or it could lead to obstruction of air during the night if it ends up covering baby’s face.
So, what can you do when it comes to blankets and SIDS prevention to try and eliminate the risks for your baby?
The short answer: keep blankets out of the crib or sleeping environment until their first birthday. After about 12 months, babies generally have the strength and dexterity required to move a blanket out of their face or roll over, if need be.
Blanket alternatives include baby sleeping bags or simply an extra layer of clothes if the room temperature isn’t too warm or too cool.
Other SIDS Risks
Other factors can attribute to the risk of SIDS. In order to prevent SIDS in otherwise healthy children it is important to consider the following in the early stages of development (up until around 12 months old):
- always sleep baby on their back
- sleep baby in a cot in your room
- don’t smoke around baby before and after birth
- provide a safe sleeping environment at all times
- keep baby’s head and face uncovered
- sleep baby on a firm mattress
- remove soft toys or other obstructions
- make sure anyone babysitting is aware of safe sleep techniques
You can take a look at the official SIDS website as a resource to help reduce the risk of SIDS. If you’re worried about SIDS and having trouble getting into a solid sleep routine with your baby, please do get in touch. We’re here to help.
Sleep Sweet and Deep everyone!