Fast Facts About SIDS

■ SIDS is the leading cause of death in infants

between 1 month and 1 year of age.

■ Most SIDS deaths happen when babies are

between 2 months and 4 months of age.

■ African American babies are more than 2

times as likely to die of SIDS as white babies.

■ American Indian/Alaska Native babies are

nearly 3 times as likely to die of SIDS as

white babies.

Spread the Word! 

Make sure everyone who cares for your baby

knows the Safe Sleep Top 10! Tell grandparents,

babysitters, childcare providers, and other

caregivers to always place your baby on his or

her back to sleep to reduce the risk of SIDS.

Babies who usually sleep on their backs but

who are then placed on their stomachs, even for

a nap, are at very high risk for SIDS—so every

sleep time counts!

Enjoy Your Baby!

National Institute of Child Health and Human Development

NIH Pub. No. 05-7040 

November 2005

Back to Sleep campaign sponsors include:

National Institute of Child Health and Human Development

Maternal and Child Health Bureau/HRSA

American Academy of Pediatrics • First Candle/SIDS Alliance

Association of SIDS and Infant Mortality Programs

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES 

National Institutes of Health

National Institute of Child Health and Human Development

SLEEP FOR YOUR

SAFE

BABY Reduce the 

Risk of Sudden 

Infant Death

Syndrome

(SIDS)

For more information on sleep position for babies and

reducing the risk of SIDS, contact the Back to Sleep

campaign at:

Mail: 31 Center Drive, 31/2A32, Bethesda, MD 20892

Phone: 1-800-505-CRIB (2742)

Fax: (301) 496-7101

Web site: http://www.nichd.nih.gov/SIDS

Babies Sleep Safest on Their Backs.

One of the easiest ways to lower your baby’s risk

of SIDS is to put him or her on the back to sleep,

for naps and at night. Health care providers used

to think that babies should sleep on their

stomachs, but research now shows that babies

are less likely to die of SIDS when they sleep on

their backs. Placing your baby on his or her back

to sleep is the number one way to reduce the

risk of SIDS.

Q. But won’t my baby choke if he or she

sleeps on his or her back?

A. No. Healthy babies automatically swallow or

cough up fluids. There has been no increase in

choking or other problems for babies who sleep

on their backs.

If you use a blanket, place the baby with feet at the end

of the crib. The blanket should reach no higher than the

baby’s chest. Tuck the ends of the blanket under the crib

mattress to ensure safety.
Do not use home monitors to

reduce the risk of SIDS. If you

have questions about using monitors for

other conditions talk to your health care

provider.

Reduce the chance that flat

spots will develop on your

baby’s head: provide “Tummy Time”

when your baby is awake and someone

is watching; change the direction that

your baby lies in the crib from one week

to the next; and avoid too much time in

car seats, carriers, and bouncers.

What is SIDS?

SIDS stands for sudden infant death syndrome.

This term describes the sudden, unexplained

death of an infant younger than 1 year of age.

Some people call SIDS “crib death” because

many babies who die of SIDS are found in their

cribs. But, cribs don’t cause SIDS.

What Should I Know 

About SIDS?

Health care providers don’t know exactly what

causes SIDS, but they do know:

Babies sleep safer on their

backs. Babies who sleep on their

stomachs are much more likely to die

of SIDS than babies who sleep on

their backs.

Sleep surface matters. Babies

who sleep on or under soft bedding

are more likely to die of SIDS.

Every sleep time counts. Babies

who usually sleep on their backs but

who are then placed on their

stomachs, like for a nap, are at very

high risk for SIDS. So it’s important for

everyone who cares for your baby to

use the back sleep position for naps

and at night.

Communities across the nation

have made great progress in

reducing SIDS! Since the Back to

Sleep campaign began in 1994, the

SIDS rate in the United States has

declined by more than 50 percent.

What Can I Do to Lower My

Baby’s Risk of SIDS?

Here are 10 ways that you and others who care

for your baby can reduce the risk of SIDS.

Safe Sleep Top 10

Always place your baby on his

or her back to sleep, for naps

and at night. The back sleep

position is the safest, and every sleep

time counts.

Place your baby on a firm sleep

surface, such as on a safetyapproved* crib mattress, covered

by a fitted sheet. Never place your

baby to sleep on pillows, quilts,

sheepskins, or other soft surfaces.

Always place your baby on his or her back to sleep.

Your baby needs Tummy Time! Place babies on their

stomachs when they are awake and someone is watching.

Tummy Time helps your baby’s head, neck, and shoulder

muscles get stronger and helps to prevent flat spots

on the head.

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http://www.nichd.nih.gov/SIDS

Keep soft objects, toys, and

loose bedding out of your

baby’s sleep area. Don’t use

pillows, blankets, quilts, sheepskins,

or pillow-like crib bumpers in your

baby’s sleep area, and keep all items

away from your baby’s face.

Do not allow smoking around

your baby. Don’t smoke before or

after the birth of your baby, and don’t

let others smoke around your baby.

Keep your baby’s sleep area

close to, but separate from,

where you and others sleep.

Your baby should not sleep in a bed

or on a couch or armchair with adults

or other children, but he or she can

sleep in the same room as you. If you

bring your baby into bed with you to

breastfeed, put him or her back in a

separate sleep area, such as a

bassinet, crib, cradle, or a bedside

cosleeper (infant bed that attaches to

an adult bed) when finished.

Think about using a clean, dry

pacifier when placing your

infant down to sleep, but don’t

force the baby to take it. (If you are

breastfeeding your baby, wait until

your child is 1 month old or is used to

breastfeeding before using a pacifier.) 

Do not let your baby overheat

during sleep. Dress your baby in

light sleep clothing, and keep the

room at a temperature that is

comfortable for an adult.

Avoid products that claim

to reduce the risk of SIDS

because most have not been tested

for effectiveness or safety.

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* For information on crib safety guidelines,

contact the Consumer Product Safety

Commission at 1-800-638-2772 or

http://www.cpsc.gov.