October is SIDS awareness month. Here’s how to protect a sleeping baby

MONROE, La. (KNOE) - October is Sudden Infant Death Syndrome Awareness Month. The Mississippi Department of Health is educating parents about the risks of SIDS and how to prevent it.

SIDS is the unexplained death of a baby, and the MSDH reports 2,5000 infants die every year because of it. The MSDH offered tips and tricks to help parents and caregivers prevent a SIDS death.

The MSDH recommends taking the following steps to prevent SIDS:

Put babies to sleep alone, on their backs, in a crib -- every nap, every night

Use a firm crib mattress covered by a fitted sheet

Don’t put pillows, blankets, bumpers, loose bedding or stuffed animals in their cribs

Don’t let your baby sleep in an adult bed, on a couch, or on a chair-- alone, with you, or with anyone else -- due to the danger of accid