ADDITIONAL RECOMMENDATIONS TO REDUCE THE RISK OF SUDDEN UNEXPECTED INFANT DEATH (SUID)

Sudden unexpected infant death (SUID) is a term used to describe the sudden and unexpected death of a baby less than 1 year old in which the cause was not obvious before investigation. These deaths often happen during sleep or in the baby’s sleep area.

In addition to the recommendations posted yesterday, other recommendations from the AAP to reduce the risk of SUID include:
-Do not smoke during pregnancy, and do not smoke or allow smoking around your baby.
-Do not drink alcohol or use illegal drugs during pregnancy.
-Breastfeed your baby.
-Visit your baby’s health care provider for regular checkups. Your baby will receive important shots to prevent disease.
-Offer your baby a pacifier at nap time and bedtime. If you are breastfeeding your baby, you may want to wait to use a pacifier until breastfeeding is well-established.

Content source: Division of Reproductive Health, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion