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Deanie Wimmer Reporting More than half of all cases of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome happen during these few months of winter. Some explanations could tie to a common Christmas Eve tradition.
Many kids get pajamas on Christmas Eve -- warm ones with feet. But it's what else many of us do to keep babies warm at night that health experts suspect is part of the problem. Here are some tips to keep your infants Safe.
At bed time it’s not unusual for new moms to worry about Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.
Morgan Shamy, Mom: “That is really one of the major things I’m worried about. You go to bed at night and you hope so badly in the morning that they’re ok, that they’re alive and healthy. I always go turn her over on her back. I’m pretty obsessive about it.”
Getting out that message, putting infants to sleep on their backs, has made a big difference in SIDs deaths. But now the State Health Department wants to add another warning about the dangers of warm pajamas and too many blankets.
Steve McDonald, State Health Dept.: “We overdress babies, that they get too hot. All we really need to do is keep the room temperature at 68-70 degrees, dress them normally as we would like to be dressed before we go to bed, and cover them with a light blanket."
A good rule of thumb is that a safe sleeping area is a sparse sleeping area. No puffy stuffed animals, pillows. No more than two fingers should fit between the mattress and the crib slats, and...
Steve McDonald: “If a pop can can go through there, it’s too wide; a baby’s head can go through and get trapped.”
Even after 30 year of research doctors aren't sure exactly what causes SIDS. But of Utah's 16 cases last year, the majority happened during winter. So taking care to not overheat your infant will help them and you sleep better.
These are also good reminders for grandparents who have babies sleeping at their homes during the holidays.
