g, car seat or stroller. Babies who sleep in these items can suffocate. If your baby falls asleep in one of them, take her out and put her in her crib as soon as you can.
- Don’t put your baby to sleep on a waterbed, sofa, soft mattress or other soft surface. Portable bed rails don’t always prevent a baby from rolling out of bed. Babies can get stuck in them and choke.
- Remove any hanging window cords or electrical wires near where your baby sleeps. Babies can get tangled in them and choke.
How do you put your baby to sleep safely?
- Put your baby to sleep on his back every time until he’s 1 year old. It’s not safe for a baby to sleep on his side or tummy. If your baby can roll over from his back to his side or tummy and over to her back again, don’t worry if he changes positions while sleeping. Give your baby tummy time every day. Tummy time helps your baby develop his neck, shoulder and arm muscles.
- Dress your baby in light sleep clothes. Remove any strings or ties from his pajamas and don’t cover his head. A blanket sleeper (a kind of infant clothing used for sleeping) can help keep your baby warm without covering his head or face. Keep the room at a temperature that’s comfortable for you. If your baby is sweating or his chest feels hot, he may be overheated.
- Give your baby a pacifier for naps and at bedtime. Pacifiers may help protect against SIDS. If you’re breastfeeding, wait until your baby is 1 month old before using a pacifier. If your baby won’t take a pacifier, don’t force it. It’s OK if the pacifier falls out of your baby’s mouth during sleep. Don’t hang the pacifier around your baby’s neck or attach the pacifier to your baby’s clothing or a stuffed animal.
- Don’t use products, like special mattresses or wedges, that claim to reduce the risk of SIDS. There is no evidence that they do.
- Don’t use home cardiorespiratory monitors as a way to reduce the risk of SIDS. These monitors track a baby’s heart rate and breathing. Some babies need this kind of monitor because of medical problems, but this is rare. There’s no evidence that the monitors help reduce the risk of SIDS in healthy babies.