3. Feed Baby Breast Milk
FEED BABY BREAST MILK FAST FACTS
- Feeding your baby breast milk reduces the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) by over 50%!
- Breastfed babies have fewer incidents of diarrhea and respiratory infections which are associated with higher vulnerability to SUID.
- Breast milk contains maternal antibodies, micronutrients, and special proteins to promote a healthy immune system.
- It is important to breast feed safely! NEVER breastfeed on a couch or recliner when you are tired. It is the most dangerous place a baby can sleep!
- If the baby is being fed in the adult bed, create a temporary safe feeding zone free of pillows, blankets, and pets.
- The baby should never be placed between people in bed.
- Safety Tip! Remember to set an alarm to get the baby back to their crib, bassinet, or play yard.
Continue reading below to learn more…
Why is breast milk protective against SIDS?
Breast milk reduces baby’s risk of death by 50%! Any amount of breast milk fed to your baby for at least 2 months can reduce the risk of death, including SIDS. The most benefits come from exclusive breastfeeding for 6 to 12 months or longer, if both the parent and baby are willing.
Feeding baby breastmilk includes:
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- Direct breastfeeding
- Expressed or pumped breast milk
- Safety-approved donor milk
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Breast milk boosts your baby’s immune system by providing antibodies, which reduce the risk of infections which have been associated with SIDS. It also improves digestive health which can help the baby to sleep more easily because they will not be woken up due to digestive discomfort.
Additionally, babies that are fed breast milk are also easier to wake up. As explained on the Back to Sleep page, a baby’s arousal threshold is important when it comes to SIDS. The ability to wake up is a natural defense mechanism and allows the baby to adjust their position, cry for help, or restore normal breathing if they find themselves in unsafe positions.
All families should be encouraged to feed breast milk, but parents of preterm or low birth weight babies need extra support. These babies are at a higher risk for SIDS and can benefit even more from breast milk.
If families are unable or decide not to feed breast milk, the other safe sleep recommendations should still be followed.
Feed Baby Safely
Breastfeeding and safe sleep are not mutually exclusive. Both are encouraged by experts because both protect your baby from SIDS and other sleep-related deaths. When breastfeeding your baby, it is essential that you do it safely.
While surface sharing during sleep is not safe, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that when you are breastfeeding, especially for night feedings, that you bring the baby into bed with you for feeding. However, it is especially important that you create a temporary safe feeding zone for your baby.
A temporary safe feeding zone includes removing all pillows, blankets, and pets from the feeding area and never placing the baby in between people on the adult bed. Once baby is done feeding, they should be placed back into their own separate safe sleep space.
The purpose of the temporary safe feeding zone and why it is recommended by the AAP is because caregivers are exhausted, and especially for night feedings, the likelihood that the caregiver will fall asleep while feeding their baby is high. The temporary safe feeding zone makes it safer for the baby if they are dropped by their caregiver. This way the baby will fall into a space where the majority of suffocation hazards have been removed and they are less likely to sustain an injury from falling to the floor.
A baby should NEVER be breastfed on a couch or recliner when the caregiver is tired. The couch poses a significant suffocation hazard as well as an increased risk of injury due to falls. Learn more about why couches are dangerous for babies here
SAFETY TIP! Set an alarm on your phone to wake you in case you fall asleep while breast feeding. When the alarm goes off, put the baby back into their crib, bassinet, or play yard.