Oct. 6, 1999

Despite goods news that the numbers of cases of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome has plunged, some parents are still missing a lifesaving message.

In today's Family Now report, News Specialist Ruth Todd explains what parents can do to prevent SIDS.

The numbers of children who die from the mysterious Sudden Infant Death Syndrome - or SIDS - has dropped by almost half since 1992. That's when the American Academy of Pediatrics recommended that parents place babies on their backs to sleep.

Before the change, about 5,000 babies nationwide died every year, but now the number is less than 3,000, and falling.

Experts don't know why a baby sleeping on its back instead of its tummy may prevent SIDS - but they say it's a simple thing parents can do to reduce the risk.

And it's especially important to place babies on their back during the upcoming cold winter months, when SIDS cases inexplicably increase.

Besides sleeping on the stomach, risk factors for SIDS include:

• the baby is a boy
• the child is between 2 and 4 months old
• the baby is sleeping in too warm a room
• he or she is exposed to tobacco smoke

And despite the good news, experts say parents still need to wary of how their children sleep.

Anna West/Utah Department of Health: "WHAT WE HAVE BEEN SEEING OVER THE LAST FIVE YEARS IS A DECREASE IN THE NUMBER OF SIDS DEATH AND AT THE SAME TIME AN INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF SLEEPING SAFETY RELATED DEATHS."

Doctors warn against placing a baby in a crib with other soft things, like a pillow or stuffed animals. Instead they should be placed on a firm mattress.

And the slats of the crib should be close enough together so a soda pop can cannot fit through them.

Some studies have shown that babies who sleep on their backs are slow to develop the motor skills necessary for crawling.

So, doctors say parents should let their babies spend time on their stomachs during the day to develop upper body coordination.