Are you aware......

That Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) or crib death is the leading cause of death among healthy infants?

That SIDS can happen to infants of all races, income levels, and family locations?

That SIDS deaths are more likely to occur when infants are in the care of someone other than their parents?

That sleeping young infants on their stomach increases their risk of death?

That sleeping infants on soft surfaces such as waterbeds, couches, comforters, bean bag chairs, and pillows, also increases their risk of death?

Sleep healthy babies on their backs.

Sleep babies on a firm, flat mattress with a tightly fitted sheet.

Do not let babies get too hot - keep room temperatures comfortable and dress babies in as little or as much as you are wearing.

Keep babies away from all exposure to cigarette smoke.

Check sleeping infants often - approximately every 20 minutes, to see if they are breathing normally.

Parents should be called right away if babies seem ill.

Make sure your CPR and First Aid skills are current.

Develop child care policies which address the above recommendations.

Discuss and share these policies on sleeping with the parents.

Help them to understand the steps you will take to reduce the risk of SIDS while their child is in care.

Share this information and the Back to Sleep brochures with the parents.

Support mothers’ efforts to breastfeed their infants.

Connect to the SIDS Alliance website. [www.sidsalliance.org]

Call the Michigan SIDS Alliance at 1-800-331-SIDS