Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) is the unexplained death, usually during sleep, of a seemingly healthy baby less than a year old. SIDS is sometimes known as crib death because the infants often die in their cribs. Breastfeeding appears to have an independent protective effect against SIDS. In a meta-analysis of eight case-control studies with individual level-data, any breastfeeding for at least two months nearly halved the risk for SIDS, after controlling for potential confounders, such as sleep position, bed-sharing, smoke exposure and sociodemographic factors. Protection increased with greater duration of breastfeeding; however, exclusive breastfeeding did not confer additional benefits over partial breastfeeding with regards to SIDS reduction.
Reference- Hauck FR, Omojokun OO, Siadaty MS. Do pacifiers reduce the risk of sudden infant death syndrome? A meta-analysis. Pediatrics…
