Tips for keeping babies safe while sleeping

Sleep is especially important for children, especially babies. However, while sleeping, your baby can face many hidden dangers that you cannot expect. Therefore, mothers need to learn how to ensure the safety of babies while sleeping in order to prevent accidents that can happen to children.

Please join aFamilyToday Health to learn about the potential dangers that can be caused to children while they sleep as well as ways to help ensure children's safety in this article!

Potential dangers when babies sleep

All children under the age of 1 are at risk for sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) , especially those under 6 months of age. This syndrome is also known as "crib death", which is defined as the syndrome that occurs when a child under 1 year old dies suddenly without an immediate cause determined, usually occurs while the child is sleeping . In the case of a baby dying while sleeping without a specific cause, doctors often think of this syndrome. Several factors can increase the risk of this syndrome in children, including:

Premature birth or low birth weight can be a cause of sudden infant death syndrome. The brains of these children are often not fully developed, resulting in disruptions in some natural bodily activities such as breathing or heart rate.

Being exposed to alcohol, drugs or tobacco through the mother before or after birth

Infection.

Many believe that children whose siblings have died from SIDS are at an increased risk of this syndrome. However, there are not many studies to support this claim. Sometimes, babies can die suddenly from blocked airways while they are sleeping.

Ways to keep babies safe while sleeping

1. Sleep in the same room as parents

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children sleep in the same room as their parents for the first 6 months of life or, preferably, until the baby is 1 year old. New analysis shows that sharing a room with parents can reduce the incidence of SIDS in babies by up to 50%. Putting a baby in the same room can help parents easily observe the child's situation, comfort and feed the baby when needed.

However, you should also create a separate space for your baby such as a crib, crib or a separate bed next to the parent's bed. You should not let your child sleep in the same bed with their parents as this can increase the child's risk of suffocation , especially if the parents smoke, drink alcohol, use drugs or sometimes are using certain drugs. prescription drugs.

2. Choose the right bed sheet, mattress and blanket

Letting your baby use soft mattresses, sheets or blankets can cause these things to unintentionally curl up around the body and head as they sleep. This increases the risk of sudden death syndrome in young children. Parents should choose a mattress with a moderate hardness for the child, in addition to choose a type of blanket that can cover the mattress, fix it on the mattress so that there is no excess sheeting and risk obstructing the airway of the mattress. baby while sleeping.

You should also not cover the baby's head with a blanket or cover while sleeping. If you are afraid that your baby will get cold when sleeping, you can use infant-sized blankets and jumpsuits to ensure sleep safety and help keep them from getting cold. If the weather is too cold, you can give your baby a blanket, but it should only cover the baby's chest and fix it on the mattress so that the blanket cannot cover the baby's face.

If a child's crib, crib or bed has a screen or screen, you should pay attention to ensure that the details of these items do not pose a risk to your child.

3. As simple as possible

Many parents like to decorate or place a lot of things on the child's crib such as toys, stuffed animals or pillows. These objects look adorable, but can become a potential threat to a child's life. When your baby sleeps, objects in the bed can block the airways and cause your baby to suffocate.

4. Safe sleeping posture

The posture to ensure infant safety while sleeping is to lay the baby on his or her back, especially for those who cannot turn over. Many parents often fix their sleeping position with pillows, blankets or towels. However, for children who are too young, children cannot handle them by themselves when these objects are inserted into the airways, so it is very easy to happen when babies are choking.

In addition, many parents tend to have their baby on their stomach when their baby has a cough. However, lying on the back helps the child's airway circulate more easily, helps children breathe better, as well as easier to expel foreign objects such as dust or phlegm.

5. Choose suitable clothes for the child

The choice of a set of clothes just fit comfortably warm will help your baby sleep better. The pajamas or sleepable blankets are the perfect choice for your baby. Depending on the weather, parents can choose the right fabric and thickness to keep the baby warm.

In addition, you should also pay attention to choosing diapers for your baby so that your baby can sleep through the night. You should choose a diaper with good absorbent properties, preventing reverse osmosis so that the child's sleep is not disturbed by a dirty diaper condition.

6. Breastfeeding

One of the best ways to prevent sudden infant death syndrome is to breastfeed as much as possible. Many studies have shown that babies who are breastfed, even for a short time, have a lower risk of developing SIDS than other babies. Mothers should be careful not to breastfeed while sitting in a chair or standing if you are tired, as this may increase the likelihood of falling or falling asleep while breastfeeding.

Latching on to a pacifier may also reduce the risk of SIDS. If you plan to breastfeed your baby, you should only initiate a pacifier once your baby is used to breastfeeding. Parents should not wear pacifiers or attach them to a child's shirt as ropes can also strangle the baby.

7. Learn about the principles to help ensure infant safety while sleeping

A number of countries have campaigns to introduce parents to principles to help keep babies safe while sleeping.

In addition to equipping yourself with this knowledge, you should also teach your grandparents, relatives or people who help you take care of your baby. Make sure they stick to these guidelines to protect your baby.

Children are parents' most precious gift. Children are very immature and very vulnerable to the hidden dangers in everyday life, even while sleeping. Your small actions can be the "iron shield" to protect your child from potential causes that are potentially life-threatening. To protect your baby, parents should equip themselves with the basic knowledge to ensure the safety of babies while sleeping.