Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) is a sudden unexplained
death of infants under one year of age. This usually occurs
during sleep and hence the name crib death. The cause of SIDS is
unknown although some researchers believe it is due to
abnormalities in the portion of the infant’s brain that control
breathing and arousal from sleep. All babies (healthy or sick)
are at risk and certain sleep environment also increases your
infant’s risk. It is important to remove blankets, pillows and
toys from the crib to reduce the risk of SIDS. Also placing baby
on the back to sleep and using a firm crib mattress may all help
to prevent SIDS. The main cause of SIDS is unknown although
doctors believe it may be related to a combination of sleep
environmental and physical factors. Sleep environmental factors
– A baby’s sleeping position, crib toys and a lot of physical
factors can greatly increase the baby’s risk of SIDS. A baby may
have difficulty breathing if place on their stomach or side to
sleep than those placed on t