children s health issues
Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)
Risk factors for sudden infant death syndrome
Children who have or who are exposed to any of the following risk factors are at increased risk of SIDS: Sleeping on the stomach (most important risk factor) Brother or sister died of SIDS Cold temperatures/winter months Growth failure Insufficient or no prenatal care Low birth weight Low-income family Male sex Mother has had many pregnancies Mother under age 20 Mother smoked, drank alcohol, or used drugs during pregnancy Non-Hispanic American Indian/Alaska Natives, non-Hispanic Black people, and non-Hispanic Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islanders race or ethnicity No pacifier Old or unsafe crib Overheating (caused by blankets or a hot room) Pauses in breathing (apnea) that required resuscitation Preterm (Premature) Newborns None Recent illness Sharing a bed with a parent or caretaker (bed-sharing or Co-sleeping ) Short amount of time between pregnancies Single mother Smoking in the home Soft bedding Upper respiratory tract infection Waterbed mattress 