Remembering....

Most of you know that I lost my son Gino to SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome) quite a few years ago. It's been 13 years today since we lost him & it is still something I live with everyday. I don't talk much about it because I know it makes some people uncomfortable but in honor of this anniversary, here are some reminders of what you can do to prevent SIDS:

At this time there is no known way to prevent SIDS in all cases, but there are steps parents and caregivers can take to reduce the risk of sudden infant death:
Place your baby to sleep on his or her back at nap and nighttime

Do not smoke while you are pregnant and don’t let anyone smoke around your baby after it’s born

Use a safety-approved crib with a firm, tight fitting mattress covered with only a sheet

Remove all soft, fluffy or loose bedding & toys (including blankets, soft or fluffy bumpers and positioners)

Use a wearable blanket to replace loose blankets in your baby’s crib

Do not put your baby to sleep on any soft surface (sofas, chairs, waterbeds, quilts, blankets, sheepskins, etc.)

Room sharing is safer than bed sharing

Do not dress your baby too warm for sleep; keep room temperature 68 - 72o F

Educate relatives, baby-sitters and other caregivers about these important safety tips

I am grateful that in the years since we lost Gino, the SIDS rate has been dramatically reduced since the SIDS Alliance released these safeguards to prevent incidents of SIDS. At the time that we lost him, while I did receive a pamphlet about SIDS when I left the hospital, it was not something that was widely discussed. In fact, when he was born, the hospital had him & Vincent sleeping on their tummies. It wasn't until about a year later when they were more dilligent about advising new parents of the safefuards to prevent SIDS. While it is not 100% foolproof, it does reduce the risk and gives parents a piece of mind when putting their baby to sleep. I pray for the day when there are no longer any SIDS deaths & we can all put our babies to bed & know they are safe from this. Have a great day & hug your kids!!