Hey Baby Sleeps Safe parents!  Take a look at this useful baby milestone checklist for little ones up to 24 months courtesy of the editors of Babytalk at Parenting.com.

Baby Sleeps Safe was recently reviewed by MomsLikeMe.com’s Try It Before You Buy It team.  See what they said…

I think every parent of a new baby has a little bit of anxiety in them about different things. The main topic lately seems to SIDS in the first year of life. I know when I had my son I was particularly paranoid and occupied about finding out every little piece of information on how to decrease the chances of this happening in our family. We had it all the video monitor, the heart/breathing monitor thing etc.. but one of the most beneficial came as a gift from someone. It was called Baby Sleeps Safe. I just had a conversation with two of my friends (one has a 1 month old the other has a 4 month old) about this product so I thought great now I can get two more reviews.

The Baby Sleeps Safe is very similar to the sleep sack except one key thing…..the Baby Sleeps Safe has a Velcro piece that attaches to the babies back and wraps around your mattress. The Velcro is designed to allow your baby to roll on his/her side if that’s a position of comfort. The fabric is 100% flame resistant cotton and comes in 4 colors: Blue, Pink, Yellow, and Cream. The fabric looks and feels like it’s really comfortable. The sleep safe is really long. (my son would still fit in it at 13 months) My son always looked like he felt secure in it.  (read the rest of this entry)

Sudden Infant Death Syndrome Prevention Tips From Baby Sleeps Safe

Having a baby is a wonderful experience that can be rewarding and challenging at the same time.  New parents must learn to master an array of skills from feeding and burping to changing diapers and getting their little one ready for bed.  While many parents are most preoccupied with activities that take place while their infant is awake, it is also very important to be vigilant while babies are asleep.  Parents must educate themselves about Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), the leading cause of deaths in infants, as it claims the lives of more than 2,000 sleeping babies each year.

“Parents must be informed about the very real risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome and the various precautions they can take to significantly impact their infant’s vulnerability to this tragic occurrence,” states Baby Sleeps Safe President Dr. Vicki Folds, Ed.D., a renowned child development expert with more than 35 years of hands-on and research experience.

What is SIDS?
Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) is the sudden and unexplained death of a sleeping infant under one year of age.  In most situations, infants show no physical signs of distress and are perfectly healthy.  Ninety percent of all SIDS fatalities occur before an infant reaches six months of age.

What can you do for your baby?
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends the following measures that may help to prevent SIDS:

•  Place infants on their backs to sleep.  As sleeping preference is a learned behavior, parents should consider using products such as Baby Sleeps Safe, a two-piece infant safety product that keeps babies sleeping safely and securely on their backs, to ensure their baby is comfortable with the position.

•  Do not place your infant to sleep in your bed.  Instead, bring the crib into your room until your baby is at least six months old.

•  Make sure the crib has a firm mattress and avoid soft surfaces. Remove blankets, bumpers, toys or pillows.

•  Overheating an infant is a risk for SIDS.  Clothe your infant to keep him warm, but avoid too many layers or warm room temperatures.  The American Academy of Pediatrics suggests placing an oscillating fan in the room to help circulation and cooling of air.

•  Offer your infant a pacifier.  Studies have shown a lower rate of SIDS with infants who use pacifiers.

•  Breast-feed your infant whenever possible.  Natural milk decreases the likelihood of respiratory and gastrointestinal infections, known to contribute to SIDS risk.

About Dr. Vicki Folds
Dr. Vicki Folds is president of Baby Sleeps Safe, an infant sleep safety product that keeps babies sleeping securely on their backs. She is one of the nation’s leading child development experts with 35 years of hands-on and research experience and several published childcare books including “Tray Tasking” and “Three Step Tray Tasking.”  Dr. Folds is currently on the National Association for the Education of Young Children’s (NAEYC) Consulting Editors Panel and reviews articles for its Young Children Journal as well as future books for publication.

Top 10 Safe Sleep Habits from Pediatrician Dr. Jennifer Shu

Since the 1990s, the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) has gone down, most likely due to the practice of putting babies on their backs to sleep. Also called crib death, SIDS is one of the main causes of death in infants, striking more than 4,500 babies each year. SIDS peaks in infants ages 2 to 4 months and is highest during the winter months.

To aim for the safest sleep environment possible, here are the top 10 tips that I recommend to my patients:
1. Back to sleep. Put baby on her back every time she goes to sleep. Older advice to put baby on her side or tummy while sleeping is no longer recommended, as tummy sleeping has been linked with SIDS and babies placed on one side may roll onto the tummy. The safest place for baby to sleep is in a bassinet, cradle or crib that meets current safety standards. Crib slats should be no more than 2 3/8” wide and the mattress should fit snugly within the crib.

2. Spread the word. About 1 out of every 5 SIDS deaths occurs while under the care of someone other than a baby’s parent so make sure caregivers such as relatives, babysitters and childcare providers also know to put baby on her back to sleep. There is a much higher risk of SIDS in babies who normally sleep on their back but are then placed faced down to sleep.

3. Tummy to play. Give your baby some tummy time on a firm surface such as a carpeted floor while she’s awake and being supervised. Upper body strength can be helpful if baby accidentally rolls onto her tummy at night.

4. Breastfeed your baby. In addition to the many health and nutritional benefits of breastfeeding, nursing can reduce the risk of SIDS as well.

5. Keep loose objects out of the crib. If you choose to use a blanket, tuck it around the mattress or use it to swaddle baby, keeping her face and head uncovered.

6. Keep soft, fluffy objects out of the crib. Pillows should not be used for babies under one year. Also, remove thick crib bumpers and comforters, which may smother baby’s face.

7. Avoid overheating. Keep the room at a temperature that’s comfortable for an adult and dress baby lightly (such as in 1 or 2 layers of clothing).

8. Keep your home smoke-free. Chemicals from tobacco smoke may put babies at risk for SIDS. Encourage smokers in the household to quit if possible. Otherwise, smoke outside and then wash hands and change out of any clothing that may come in contact with baby upon coming back in.

9. Use a pacifier. Consider offering baby a pacifier when she falls asleep, although it is not necessary to replace it if it falls out during the night. If breastfeeding, it is a good idea to wait until baby is nursing well (usually around 1 month) before offering a pacifier.

10. Use a fan. One recent study showed that running a ceiling fan can keep a room ventilated and reduce the chance of SIDS.
About Dr. Jennifer Shu
Jennifer Shu, MD, is a pediatrician, author and mother in Atlanta. Her passion is educating parents on all topics relating to children. Dr. Shu is editor-in-chief of the American Academy of Pediatrics’ (AAP) Baby & Child Health and co-author of the award-winning books Heading Home with Your Newborn and Food Fights, both published by the AAP.

An enthusiastic and experienced writer and public speaker, Dr. Shu is a medical expert on CNNHealth.com, a member of the Parents magazine Board of Advisors and an editorial advisor for the AAP’s Healthy Children doctor’s office publication. She has been featured as a guest expert on CNN, NBC Nightly News, Headline News, MSNBC and Discovery Health, as well as in Newsweek, US News & World Report, USA Today, US Weekly, and numerous parenting magazines, newspapers and medical publications.

Dr. Shu received her bachelor’s degree at the University of Virginia and her medical degree from the Medical College of Virginia. Dr. Shu completed her pediatric training and chief residency at the University of California in San Francisco. She has been a leader within the medical profession as a past national chairperson of the young physicians sections for both the American Medical Association (AMA) and the AAP.