Parents and Caregivers

The following organizations offer support for people who have lost a baby:

• First Candle
• Sudden Unexplained Death In Childhood Foundation (SUDC)
• The Compassionate Friends
• Share Pregnancy and Infant Loss Support, Inc.
• Centering Corporation

Health care providers and researchers don’t know the exact causes of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). However, research shows parents and caregivers can take the following actions to help reduce the risk of SIDS and other sleep-related causes of infant death:

• Place your baby on his or her back for all sleep times—for naps and at night.
• Use a firm sleep surface, such as a mattress in a safety-approved crib, covered by a fitted sheet.
• Have the baby share your room, not your bed. Your baby should not sleep in an adult bed, on a couch, or on a chair alone, with you, or with anyone else.
• Keep soft objects, such as pillows and loose bedding out of your baby’s sleep area.
• Do not smoke during pregnancy, and do not smoke or allow smoking around your baby. For help in quitting, call the quitline at 1-800-QUIT-NOW (1-800-784-8669) or visit Women.Smokefree.gov.

See Ways to Reduce the Risk of SIDS and Other Sleep-Related Causes of Death from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) to learn more about these and other actions.