Parents, Grandparents, and Caregivers
Reduce Risk
What you can do to reduce your baby’s risk of SIDS and other sleep-related causes of death:
- Always place your baby on their back to sleep for naps and at night.
- Breastfeed your baby.
- Do not smoke or allow others to smoke around you while you are pregnant.
- Do not smoke or allow others to smoke around your baby.
- Consider giving your baby a pacifier at sleep time. Be sure not to attach the pacifier to string, clothing, toys, or blankets.
- Share your room with your baby for the first 6 month to year. Be sure that your baby is close to your bed, but on an appropriate sleep surface designed for infants.
- ONLY use a sitting device for its intended purpose (see below for more information):
- Create a safe sleep environment: Ways to Reduce the Risk of SIDS and Other Sleep-related Causes of Infant Death
When speaking to anyone who takes care of your baby, including grandparents, babysitters and childcare providers, older siblings, and others:
- Be very specific that you want your baby placed on their “back to sleep”.
- Put your instructions in writing and give it to your childcare providers.
- If you have in-home childcare, post sleep instructions over your baby’s crib.
- Be sure that your childcare providers understand current safe sleep guidelines. See informational brochures below.
- Refer childcare providers to this or other reputable websites for more information about reducing the risk of SIDS.
- Be sure to share informational brochures and videos with anyone who will be caring for your infant.
Informational Brochures
Sitting and Carrying Devices
- Sitting and carrying devices (such as car safety seats, strollers, infant seats, bouncers, and swings) were designed primarily for the transporting, feeding, and play of infants and young children.
- Approximately 3% of SIDS deaths occurs in sitting devices.
- Infant deaths in sitting devices are more likely to occur while in supervision of a childcare provider or babysitter compared with a parent.
- Use sitting devices for their intended purpose only and not as sleeping surfaces.
- Infant Deaths in Sitting Devices
Creating a Safe Sleep Environment
A crib, bassinet, or portable crib, with a firm flat mattress that follows the safety standards of the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is recommended.
Click here for information on crib safety or contact the CPSC at 1-800-638-2772.
The images below shows a safe infant sleep environment:
What is a safe sleep environment like?
Try out the Interactive Safe Sleep Environment Tool and learn how you can help reduce the risk of SIDS and other sleep-related causes of infant death.
Safe Sleep Videos