| Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) is a sudden and unexplained death that usually occurs while the infant is asleep. Highest risk is between the ages of 1 and 4 months. Although there is no conclusive research on the cause(s) of SIDS, safety measures such as positioning the infant on his back to sleep and other safe sleep guidelines have been shown to reduce the incidence of SIDS.
Parents tend to copy practices that they observed in hospital settings. NICU staff should be more vigilant about endorsing and modeling the supine sleep position and safe sleep guidelines before an anticipated discharge.
NICU Considerations
- Premature infants have increased risk of SIDS.
- Premature infants are more likely to be placed prone to sleep after hospital discharge.
- As parents/caretakers may see infants placed prone to sleep in the NICU, babies and parents/caretakers may become used to the prone sleep position.
Safe Sleep Practices for the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit - Sample Policy and Procedures (pdf 2.2 Mb)
Model Behavior Poster (pdf 3.7 Mb)
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