Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) is one of parents’ biggest fears. In the same way, this syndrome has become the great unknown of medicine because it has not yet been resolved. So much so that in the world one out of every two thousand babies loses their lives between the fourth and sixteenth week.

According to specialists, SIDS is most common in cold months, in males, and in low birth weight infants. Premature babies, infants with a family history of sudden death, and children of smoking mothers are among the most at risk. There are also a number of elementary behaviors to avoid this terrifying situation.

Here are seven tips to avoid sudden newborn death and I’ll tell you about the relationship between SIDS and room sharing with your baby. These recommendations are key to your child’s safety and peace of mind as a mother.

How to prevent sudden infant death?

The precise cause of this syndrome is unknown. However, as the years went by, certain situations became known that make it difficult for the baby to breathe. For this reason, we recommend you to consider the following useful and necessary measures:

• Sharing a room with the newborn. It is not in dispute whether the baby is spoiled or not. It is scientifically proven: Putting the child to bed outside the parents’ room increases the risk of sudden death. That is why it is recommended that, at least until the age of three months, the room be shared with the child. Cradle, bassinet or bedding; sleeping close to the parents benefits the infant respiratory and cardiac pattern. Be that as it may, the important thing is that it is carried out in a safe way. This means, with conscience and responsibility and always under the constant supervision of the parents.
• Do not smoke, drink alcohol or take drugs during pregnancy. The relationship between the consumption of these substances during pregnancy and the risk of sudden death of the newborn was proven.
• Encourage skin-to-skin contact after birth. The idea is to place the newborn baby where it belongs, because the cleanliness can wait. Staying on the breast of your mother avoids stress, forges the most sacred of bonds, maintains your body temperature and encourages breastfeeding.
• As far as possible, breastfeed above all else. Breastfeeding protects the baby from sudden death. According to studies, the risk of dying is reduced by 50 or 70% in infants.
• Lying the baby on his back. Recent research indicates that lying on your side is safer than lying on your stomach. However, it has been proven that sleeping on your back is even safer than sleeping on your side. Of course, the baby’s head should look sideways alternately. That way we can save ourselves a lot of trouble.
• Forbidden are stuffed animals and cushions in the crib. Even if they are very pretty and you feel that they serve as stimulation, remove them. They increase the danger of suffocation of the infant. Remember that these are soft materials that can slide easily, so they can reach the baby’s head quickly and without even perceiving it.
• Don’t even think about smoking around the baby, or sleeping with him if you’ve smoked before. Tobacco is a substance capable of increasing nine times the risk of sudden death of the infant up to three months of life of the child. Smoking before sleeping with or near the child not only increases the risk of SIDS, but also leads to various respiratory complications.