Health care providers and researchers don’t know the exact causes of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). However, there are some things you can do to help reduce the risk of SIDS:
- Place your baby on his or her back for all sleep times—naps and at night.
- Use a firm, flat sleep surface, such as a mattress in a safety-approved cribexternal icon, covered by a fitted sheet.
- Keep your baby’s sleep area (for example, a crib or bassinet) in the same room where you sleep until your baby is at least 6 months old, or ideally, until your baby is one year old.
- Keep soft bedding such as blankets, pillows, bumper pads, and soft toys out of your baby’s sleep area.
- Do not cover your baby’s head or allow your baby to get too hot. Signs your baby may be getting too hot include sweating or his or her chest feels hot.
- Do not smoke during pregnancy, and do not smoke or allow smoking around your baby. For help quitting, see How to Quit Smoking.
- Do not drink alcohol or use illegal drugs during pregnancy.
- Breastfeed your baby. Find out more about breastfeeding your baby to reduce the risk of SIDS pdf icon[480 KB]external icon.
- Visit your baby’s health care provider for regular checkups. Your baby will receive important shots to prevent disease.
- Offer your baby a pacifier at nap time and bedtime. If you are breastfeeding your baby, you may want to wait to use a pacifier until breastfeeding is well-established.
