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Children's Health Newborns and Toddlers
Pacifiers Might Help Prevent SIDS
Babies should be given pacifiers and put on their backs to sleep as way of protecting against sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), a leading group of pediatricians says. Although the rate of infants dying in their sleep has declined in recent years, SIDS remains the leading cause of death for very young children. To lower these risks even further, the American Academy of Pediatricians no longer recommends that babies lie on their side as an alternative to lying on their stomach. Fearing that infants may accidentally roll onto their stomachs and have trouble breathing, the group recommends that children be put to bed on their back on a firm mattress with the sleeping area free of toys and pillows. Ideally, babies should sleep in their parent's room, but never in the same bed. Pacifiers may also lower the risk of SIDS, so the group recommends the use of pacifiers during naps and at bedtime until the child turns one year of age.
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