Sleep position that increases the risk of infant death

When you want your baby to sleep, even when you do not sleep, always lie on your back. This is the safest sleep position to reduce the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SVPF). Sometimes called sleep dying, SVPF is the sudden and inexplicable death of a baby under the age of one.

Studies have shown that babies who decide to sleep on their boats are more likely to change lives from SVPF, compared to those who sleep on their backs. But even the risk of babies sleeping on the side is just as great, perhaps because of the ease of this position of the boat. Since 1992, when the American Academy of Pediatrics began recommending sleep on the back, the percentage of SVPFs in the United States has dropped significantly. This is an exception to babies whose health problems force them to sleep on their boats. If your baby is born with a defect, vomiting often after eating, breathing problems, lungs, or heart problems, consult your pediatric doctor to learn what is the best sleep position for it. Make sure that everyone who cares for the baby knows he has to lay it down. This may include grandparents, nurses, stewards, friends, and others.

Some babies don't like sleeping on their backs, but they will soon get used to this position. Many parents fear that their baby would drown if he vomited while sleeping on his back, but doctors have not argued that this position is related. Some babies sleeping on their backs may be crushed in the back of their heads. In most cases, this disappears after a child learns to direct his body. You can help a baby to have a normal head shape, often changing its position in bed. In this way, the baby will not always sleep in one position alone.

Some other advice that can reduce the risk of SVPF.

* Feed the baby breast milk. Although the reasons are not entirely clear, breastfeeding can protect against SVPF.

* Put the baby in a kimono or put it in the sleeping bag. By doing so, you do not have to wrap it in blankets and worry if it prevents him from breathing.

* Choose your mattress carefully. Use a hard mattress. Do not use an inflated pillow, for it can prevent a baby from breathing if it squeezes his face against him. For the same reason, do not leave pillows or fur toys in your baby's bed.

* Do not smoke or expose your baby to smoke. The babies, whose mothers smoked during pregnancy and who continue after that, are triple the most endangered by SVPF compared to babies whose mothers do not smoke.

* Keep the temperature on the proper level. If the baby's sweating on the neck or face, it means it's hot.