National SIDS Resource Center	http://www.circsol.com/sids/
CJ Foundation for SIDS	http://www.cjsids.com/index.htm
American SIDS Institute	http://www.sids.org/
SIDS Alliance	http://www.sidsalliance.org/
SIDS Network	http://www.sids-network.org/
National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (and "Back to Sleep" campaign)	http://www.nichd.nih.gov/
National SIDS and Infant Death Program Support Center	http://www.sids-id-psc.org/
Times Union Community Partners Program	http://www.timesunion.com/ communities/
World Chiropractic Alliance	www.worldchiropracticalliance.org

SIDS Facts

Facts

• 9 infants die each day of SIDS.
• More children die of SIDS in one year than all children who die of cancer, heart disease, pneumonia, child abuse, AIDS, cystic fibrosis, and muscular dystrophy combined.
• During the past twenty-five years, over 100,000 families in the U.S. have had an infant die suddenly and unexpectedly of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.
• SIDS is the major cause of death in infants from 1 month to 1 year of age, with most deaths occurring between 2 and 4 months.
• 90% of SIDS deaths occur before 6 months of age; 98% before 12 months.
• The rate of SIDS deaths has dropped from 5417 in 1990 to 2991 in 1997

Safety Tips

The following suggestions may increase an infant's health and help reduce the risk of SIDS:

• Early and regular prenatal care provides a healthy start for any baby.
• Proper nutrition for the pregnant mother should include a focus on protein, natural healthy foods and folic acid.
• Avoid taking any unnecessary drugs.
• Pregnant women should exercise and receive chiropractic care.
• Place your baby on its back or side to sleep. This recommendation from the American Academy of Pediatrics and the National Back to Sleep Campaign applies to most babies. Since some babies seem to insist on sleeping on their stomachs, it is a good idea to have something to prevent them from rolling onto their stomachs, such as a rolled up towel or firm cylinder pillow. Place this pillow snug up to the baby from the level of his arms down, to prevent him from rolling over. This helps to ensure that he will not be twisting his neck, which may compromise the important nerve structures in this area.
• Don't smoke; provide a smoke-free environment for babies in your care and encourage parents who smoke to quit. Recent research indicates that the risk of SIDS doubles among babies exposed only after birth to cigarette smoke and triples for those exposed both during pregnancy and after birth. Infants exposed to smoke also have more colds and other upper respiratory tract infections.
• Breastfeed your baby. Studies show that babies who died of SIDS were less likely to have been breastfed. Breast-feeding is important since breast milk contains antibodies and nutrients that can prevent gastrointestinal and respiratory illnesses and infections.
• Do not keep small objects or stuffed toys in the crib with your baby, as these items may cause choking.
• Change your baby on the floor instead of a couch, bed or changing table that he may fall off of (this will also decrease the stress on your back).
• When you are changing the baby, be sure not to lift his feet or bottom too high, as this may put unnecessary stress on the infant's neck and upper back.
• Use a firm, flat mattress in a safety-approved crib. Don't use soft sleeping surfaces and objects that trap gas in the baby's sleeping area. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has issued advisories for parents on the hazards to infants sleeping on beanbag cushions, sheepskins, foam pads, foam sofa cushions, synthetic-filled adult pillows, and foam pads covered with comforters.
• Under certain circumstances, certain adult bedding may pose a threat to infants, so exercise extreme caution if your baby sleeps in your bed with you.
• Educate other potential caregivers to your baby, such as baby-sitters, daycare workers, friends and grandparents. Do not assume they know even the basic safety precautions.
• Learn Infant CPR.
• Have your baby checked for vertebral subluxations, especially at the level of the atlas, as soon as possible after birth.

We must keep in mind the sad truth that any baby may be vulnerable to SIDS despite his parents' best efforts to prevent it. Therefore, it is imperative that we all continue to support scientific research and that we keep open minds to new and alternative approaches. Only in this manner will we uncover other risk factors, possible causes, and treatments that may offer solutions to the SIDS puzzle.

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