Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) is a catastrophic, unanticipated event that kills a seemingly healthy infant in the first year of life. This happens to 2,000-3,000 infants in the United States yearly. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) convened the Task Force on Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, a group of authorities to study this tragic occurrence. Their revised guidelines were released in October 2005 and recommend the following:

1) Always put an infant to sleep or nap on its back. Do not put a baby to sleep on its stomach (there can be medical conditions that override this dictum).
2) Only put babies to sleep in a crib or bassinet with a firm mattress and tight-fitting sheet. Never allow the baby to sleep in a bed, on a sofa or with other children or adults (bed sharing is a leading factor for infant deaths in Calhoun County).
3) Let babies sleep in the parent's room (not in the same bed).
4) Avoid soft bedding materials; no pillows, comforters or quilts.
5) Make sure the room temperature is not too hot. It should be comfortable for a lightly-clothed adult.
6) Do not use breathing monitors or products marketed as ways to reduce SIDS.
7) Keep your baby in a smoke-free environment. Breastfeed your baby, if possible. Never give honey to a child less than 1 year old - honey in very young children may cause infant botulism.
8) Let the baby sleep with a pacifier from one month to one year of age. Offering pacifiers at naptime and bedtime can reduce the risk of SIDS. However, do not force the infant to use a pacifier. This behavior is associated with dental problems only when used on into early childhood; researchers say the potential benefit (decreased SIDS risk) outweighs the risks.
The evidence for pacifier use is characterized by the Task Force on Sudden Infant Death Syndrome as ""compelling."" Reuters health information reported in December 2005 that, ""Overall, pacifier use cut the risk of SIDS by 92 percent."" The role of the pacifier in reducing SIDS was acknowledged by the Netherlands (1998), Canadian Pediatric Society (2003) and the AAP (2005).
Medicine doesn't know why pacifier use works. However, it has been proven that regurgitation of gastric contents can be associated with life-threatening events and cessation of breathing.
The benefit of pacifier use could reside with swallowing the alkaline saliva created from sucking on the pacifier. The clearance of regurgitation from the esophagus prevents a tragedy. As I see it, offer a pacifier as an integral part of a sleep environment. You might just save a life.
(Source: battlecreekenquirer.com)