About 1 in 5
sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) deaths occur while an infant is in the care of someone other than a parent or usual caregiver.
SIDS is defined as the sudden death of an infant under 1 year of age, which remains unexplained after a thorough case investigation, including performance of a complete autopsy, examination of the death scene, and review of the clinical history.
Unaccustomed tummy sleeping is when a baby who is used to sleeping on her back with 1 caregiver is then placed to sleep on her tummy by another caregiver. Unaccustomed tummy sleeping greatly increases the risk of SIDS.
Babies who are used to sleeping on their backs and then placed to sleep on their tummies are 18 times more likely to die from SIDS than compared to babies who are placed to sleep on their backs every time, with every caregiver.
Remember:
Place babies to sleep on their backs every time, with every caregiver. This means:
- Every night
- Every nap
- With babysitters, nannies, child care providers, relatives, birth parents, foster parents, and anyone else who may care for the baby
Additional Information: