Another case of SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome) was reported in Yerushalayim r”l during the predawn hours of Sunday, 14 Adar II. The incident occurred in a home on Avraham Stern Street. Ichud Hatzalah responders began CPR but resuscitation efforts were unsuccessful.

Ichud Hatzalah reports that Deputy-Director of Schneider Children’s Hospital in Petach Tikvah Dr. Brown-Harlev explains that so-called “crib death” is a rare occurrence that involves a sudden unexplained death among infants under the age of a year, during their sleep.

Despite the research into SIDS a definitive explanation is not available but there does appear to be a number of steps that can be taken towards reducing the risk. These measures include;

· A healthy infant should be placed on its back for sleeping at night and during the day.

· The child should not have a hat when put in a crib to sleep, but garments that will maintain body heat but that do not cover the face in any way.

· The optimum temperature for the room is 22-24C (71.5-75.2F)

· Avoid making the room too hot.

· Avoid all forms of smoking in proximity of the infant.

· Avoid the use of all forms of spray deodorant and other sprays in proximity to the child.

· The mattress should be firm.

· Mattress protectors are not recommended.

· Avoid using soft sheets and soft pillows

· It is absolutely forbidden to have an infant sleep in a bed with parents.

· One should not use type of string/cord/chain to connect a pacifier to the infant or clothing.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)