How can parents reduce the risk of SIDS?

To reiterate one point - MAKE SURE TO SHARE THIS INFORMATION WITH ANYONE WHO IS GOING TO KEEP YOUR BABY. A friend of ours had a baby and did everything she was supposed to do. She left the child with an older caregiver who had years of experience with babies. This woman believed that babies should be put down on their stomachs. Our friend's baby died of SIDS while in this woman's care. Please make sure you make your rules known and make sure they will be followed. What we didn't know 20 years ago can hurt a child.

I believe there is not enough research that has been done on vaccinations and SIDS. I have a friend who's child died 2 days after being vaccinated. They are being paid through the injury fund and they did find the vaccinations were a contributor to the death. They would not be paid if that was not the case...

As the proverb says:"You are what you eat",attention should be
drawn to what the newborn and his mother take:Food,medication
immunization etc.
A newborn,especially the premature,are in a huge process of building and maturing its body.There is an overload of building material:Proteins and lipids.Cholesterol,is specialy in over -supply.Cholesterol concentration is the highest in the brain.
We all know that too much LDL is no good.We also know that too little HDL is no good either.We are aware of the"Metabolic syndrome of pregnancy" and ecclampsia,with hypertensive crisis arrythmias and fetal demise.
Same train of event is possible in newborns.
It behoves us to do the best and prevent Sudden Cardiac Death.

What about the studies that have linked SIDS to the abnormal production of seratonin from the brainstem? Seratonin is responsible for the regulation of breathing rate and depth, among other things. If the level of CO2 in the body becomes too elevated or depressed the breathing rate will change to help normalize the level to a less toxic amount. Most children are able to do this from the moment they are born. If your child has an atlanto occipital misalignment (a misalignment between the base of the skull and the first bone in his neck) the seratonin level in his body may not be high enough to properly regulate the CO2 in his body which can be deadly if it gets too high. The only way to be sure there is no atlanto occipital misalignment in his spine is to take him to a chiropractor that is trained in the treatment of children and infants. In addition to what Dr. Gupta said this must be done to make sure your child's body is healing and functioning without any interference. Tom I wish you luck and a long life with the new miracle in your life.

Excellent post Dr. Gupta. Another site with great SIDS information is http://www.howtopreventsids.com

Remember parents, share your knowledge!

Was an excellent article. It should had included that there are ways to reduce to risks of SIDS but SIDS can't be prevented. There is a need for more medical research, to mandate a nationwide standard of reporting and investigating infant deaths and a national registry for sudden unexpected infant deaths. Thanks for promoting the awareness of SIDS and the risks factors.