What it means
Causes include soft bedding or objects covering an infant's face, plastic bags, entrapment, choking and pressure on the neck or chest. It is a leading cause of injury death in infants.
For the nurse
Teach safe infant sleep: on the back, on a firm flat surface, in the baby's own crib or bassinet in the parents' room, with no pillows, blankets, bumpers or toys. Keep plastic bags and small objects away from young children.
Related terms
aspiration
Breathing food, liquid, saliva or stomach contents into the airway and lungs; also, drawing fluid out with suction or a needle.
airway
The passages that carry air into and out of the lungs, from the nose and mouth to the smallest air tubes.