You touch the lives of young children and their families in many important ways. Safe sleep practices are critical. Not following these practices could have a devastating effect. Look at this risk timeline. You will see that the time with the highest risk is in the first few months of an infant’s life. Is this information surprising to you?
- Babies are at highest risk from 1-4 months
- 9 out of 10 deaths occur in the first 6 months.
- #1 cause of death for babies between 1-12 months.
The child care licensing rules and the information in this training are designed to help Early Educators reduce the risk for Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) and other sleep-related deaths. Once a child reaches one month of age, the MOST COMMON cause of death is Sudden Unexplained Infant Death (SUID). SIDS is a type of SUID. Here are the definitions of SUID and SIDS:
| SUID | SIDS ( a type of SUID) |
| Sudden and unexpected death of a seemingly healthy baby, under 12 months of age in which cause of death is not immediately obvious. | SIDS: A SUID death that is still unexplained after a death scene investigation, autopsy, and review of the baby’s medical history. [1] |
Want to learn more? https://www1.nichd.nih.gov/sts/about/SIDS/Pages/common.aspx
Once a child reaches one month of age, the MOST COMMON cause of death is SUID.
While SIDS is not preventable, there are actions an Early Educator can do to lower risk.
