There is a very high risk of a sleeping accident if an adult falls asleep with an infant on a sofa. This is because baby may become wedged into cushions or the back of the sofa and the sleeping person would not notice.
Babies can become wedged between a parent's body and the back of a couch or the arm of a chair and the weight of the adult's body can prevent them from breathing. Sleeping with your baby on a sofa also puts your baby at a greatly increased risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.
Parents and caregivers need to be aware that it's dangerous for babies to sleep on sofas because it increases the risk of suffocation and entrapment in the cushions, says pediatrician and SIDS researcher Rachel Moon, MD.
Babies who usually sleep on their backs but who are then placed to sleep on their stomachs, such as for a nap, are at very high risk for SIDS. Sleep in an adult bed with parents, other children, or pets; this situation is especially dangerous if: The adult smokes, has recently had alcohol, or is tired.
Goodstein said, when babies sleep in the same room as their parents, the background sounds or stirrings prevent very deep sleep and that helps keeps the babies safe. Room sharing also makes breast-feeding easier, which is protective against SIDS.
White noise reduces the risk of SIDS.
A relatively famous study (famous if you read a lot about baby sleep, so honestly you should be a little proud if you haven't heard of it) showed that babies had a significant reduction in the risk of SIDS if they had a fan in their room.
It is important to make sure that your baby is a comfortable temperature – not too hot or too cold. The chance of SIDS is higher in babies who get too hot. A room temperature of 16-20°C – with light bedding or a lightweight, well-fitting baby sleep bag– is comfortable and safe for sleeping babies.
While the cause of SIDS is unknown, many clinicians and researchers believe that SIDS is associated with problems in the ability of the baby to arouse from sleep, to detect low levels of oxygen, or a buildup of carbon dioxide in the blood. When babies sleep face down, they may re-breathe exhaled carbon dioxide.
SIDS is most common at 2-4 months of age when the cardiorespiratory system of all infants is in rapid transition and therefore unstable. So, all infants in this age range are at risk for dysfunction of neurological control of breathing.
The reason for this, according to the charity Lullaby Trust, is that sleeping on a sofa or armchair with your baby can increase the risk of SIDS by up to 50 times and there is NEVER a safe time to sleep on a sofa or armchair with a baby day or night.
He should sleep in his own crib or bassinet (or in a co-sleeper safely attached to the bed), but shouldn't be in his own room until he is at least 6 months, better 12 months. This is because studies have shown that when babies are close by, it can help reduce the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, or SIDS.
Infants are sensitive to extremes in temperature and cannot regulate their body temperatures well. Studies have shown that multiple layers or heavy clothing, heavy blankets, and warm room temperatures increase SIDS risk.
Though it's scary to think about, pillows and other soft bedding items can create the potential for suffocation or strangling and increase the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). In short, there's no real reason to put a pillow in your baby's crib — and plenty of good reasons to wait until she's older.
A baby crib mattress can cause an infant to rebreathe harmful carbon dioxide should they roll over. Cases continue to be reported of infants placed on their back and found on their tummy on firm crib mattresses. These deaths are thought to be the caused by rebreathing.
SIDS has no symptoms or warning signs. Babies who die of SIDS seem healthy before being put to bed. They show no signs of struggle and are often found in the same position as when they were placed in the bed.
SIDS is less common after 8 months of age, but parents and caregivers should continue to follow safe sleep practices to reduce the risk of SIDS and other sleep-related causes of infant death until baby's first birthday. More than 90% of all SIDS deaths occur before 6 months of age.
SIDS can occur anytime during a baby's first year of life (it's extremely rare after 1 year of age). Although the causes of SIDS are still largely unknown, doctors do know that the risk of SIDS appears to peak between 2 and 4 months of age and decreases after 6 months.
Other things that SIDS is not: SIDS is not the same as suffocation and is not caused by suffocation. SIDS is not caused by vaccines, immunizations, or shots. SIDS is not contagious.
Most SIDS deaths happen in babies between 1 month and 4 months of age, and the majority (90%) of SIDS deaths happen before a baby reaches 6 months of age. However, SIDS deaths can happen anytime during a baby's first year. Slightly more boys die of SIDS than girls.
SIDS is scary to think about, and of course, you want to take every possible precaution to protect your baby. Still, know that an infant's SIDS risk is very small. Today, only 33 in 100,000 babies are affected by SIDS, according to the latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
This article presents five cases of infants who were awake when they experienced sudden catastrophic deterioration and subsequent death, followed by a discussion of potential lethal pathophysiological events that may lead to these circumstances.
Results: The majority of SIDS deaths (83%) occurred during night-time sleep, although this was often after midnight and at least four SIDS deaths occurred during every hour of the day.
How hot is too hot for your baby's bedroom? Here's the short answer: anything above 21 degrees celsius. Babies are most comfortable sleeping between 18 and 21 degrees. The rule of thumb to keep them warm is to dress them in one more layer than you feel you need to sleep comfortably.