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October is designated at SIDS Awareness Month by Susan Chewning Charleston County Coroner When my children were infants, I would wake during the night, walk to their cribs and watch for the rise and fall of their tiny chests. I would wait for a hand or foot to move, sometimes almost awakening them, for further confirmation that they were really okay.  Why such concern about my infants, especially sleeping infants? It was because of my fear of “Sudden Infant Death Syndrome,” also known as SIDS. Remember SIDS is that mysterious, unexplained, devastating beast that steals infants from their parents every year for no apparent reason. Even though medical researchers have not discovered a cause for SIDS we have identified certain risk factors associated with these infant deaths.  The Charleston County Coroner’s Office would like to educate parents, grandparents, and child care providers about the risk factors we wee in Charleston County.  The most common risk factors seen in SIDS in Charleston County are: Infants being placed on their stomachs to sleep Infants sleeping on soft bedding, quilts, and pillows Infants exposed to a smoking environment Infants sleeping in adult beds Infants sleeping with adults of other children-“Bed Sharing” So what can you do to reduce the risk that your infant will become a victim of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome? Place your healthy baby on his/her back to sleep. Some mothers worry that babies sleeping on their backs may choke during their sleep. There is NO evidence that healthy babies, sleeping on their backs, are at an increased risk of choking on spit-up or vomit. What about placing babies on their sides to sleep? Although various devices have been marketed to keep a baby in the side position to sleep, they are not recommended. If your baby is not healthy you should seek advice from your pediatrician regarding the best sleep positions for your child. Make sure your baby sleeps on a firm mattress or other firm surface.  Do not use fluffy blankets or comforters under the baby. Avoid placing soft stuffed toys or pillows in the crib with him or her. The only item needed in the crib with the baby should be a light cover. Create a smoke free zone around the baby. No one should smoke around your baby. Infants and young children exposed to smoke have more colds and diseases as well as an increased risk of SIDS.  Do not place infants in adult beds to sleep. Adult beds are not designed to meet the safety standards for infants; cribs are designed to be safe places for babies to sleep. Never place babies on waterbeds, sofas, soft mattresses or pillows to sleep. Avoid “bed-sharing” otherwise known as “co-sleeping.”  “But won’t my baby be safer if he is in bed with me and I can watch him?” The answer to this question is ‘No.’ In Charleston County, we have found that the majority of infant deaths have occurred while babies were sleeping with adults or other children. During the past few months there has been an increase in the number of infant deaths in Charleston County. There is nothing more horrifying than having to talk to a new mom and dad about the death of their baby. As a mom, I look in their eyes and realize that this could have been me. I am lucky, as no one told me about these risk factors when my children were infants and I never experienced the tragedy of SIDS.  Editor's note: Bobbi Jo Neal, deputy coroner, contributed to the article.