-According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, there is no way to identify which babies could die of Sudden Infant death Syndrome (SIDS). However mothers can practice some things to make sure their babies are safe. These include:
- better sleeping positions
- removing stuffed toys and pillows from bedding
- using firmer mattresses
- avoiding sharing of beds with very young infants etc
Research shows that placing a baby to sleep on soft mattresses, sofas, sofa cushions, waterbeds, sheepskins, or other soft surfaces raises the risk of SIDS (Center for Disease Control and Prevention).
To get more information on crib safety, call the Consumer Product Safety Commission at 1-800-638-2772 or visit their web site at www.cpsc.gov
-Latino Mothers can educate one another about:
- infant death
- what factors cause it
- and most importantly, what reduces it
Educating one another on how important things like better nutrition, medical care, immunization are in reducing infant mortality will greatly help lower infant death rates.
-Latino mothers can also monitor their behavior, especially during pregnancy. Since a mother¡¯s health determines the baby¡¯s health:
- good health practices will lead to less infant death rates
- avoiding bad health practices like smoking, drinking alcohol, poor nutrition and so on will greatly reduce the infant death rates
