Before the early 1990's it was thought that a baby was safer sleeping on her belly because, in the event that she may throw up while sleeping, she wouldn't choke. The reality is that a sleeping baby will instinctively turn their head to one side or another if their airway becomes obstructed.Nowadays parents are taught to lay their babies on their backs or sides to sleep; and for good reason.

SIDS, the sudden and unexplained death of an otherwise healthy infant, is the leading cause of death among infants1 month to 1 year of age. SIDS afflicts on average, 2500 babies per year here in the United States alone.

Despite years of extensive research by institutions like The American SIDS Foundation, which was founded in 1983, SIDS remains a medical mystery to even the wisest of minds. This research, however, has resulted in the discovery of certain situations, and criteria, that may increase the chances of a baby succumbing to SIDS. Most prominent among them is a baby that sleeps on its stomach.death syndrome. Placing a baby on her back to sleep is the safest and most effective way to prevent SIDS.

It is not known why a baby that sleeps on its stomach is more susceptible to this silent killer, but studies have shown that they are. Because of this finding, in 1992 the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommended all healthy infants younger than 1 year of age be put to sleep on their backs. Since the AAP's recommendation, the rate of SIDS has dropped by over 50%.

At the end of the day, SIDS remains a mysterious, elusive killer. No one knows what it actually is or how it can suddenly, and without obvious provocation,take the lives of some healthy infants and not others. These babies have no pre-existing conditions, and are healthy in all respects. Despite the efforts of dedicated professionals, SIDS continues to strikes without warning. Doing what you can to prevent SIDS is important.

Placing your baby on its back when putting him or her to sleep is extremely important. As your baby grows, and learns to roll over, you could invest in a specialized baby pillow that prevent baby from rolling onto their back. The good news is that as your baby grows older the chances of them dying from SIDS decreases.

There are many things parents worry about when they bring their newborn home from the hospital. Among them is the fear of their newborn child succumbing to sudden infant

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