But if the plug comes unplugged during the night, don’t worry, she said. "Parents don’t need to worry about putting the pacifier back in the baby’s mouth, especially if the baby doesn’t seem to want it."
But Dr. Moon warned parents to never, ever attach a pacifier to an infant’s clothing in any way, especially with a string or ribbon around the baby’s neck.
Immunizations also protect against SIDS, so it’s critical to keep babies up to date with vaccinations, she said. And adults should never smoke around infants. Infants exposed to cigarette smoke are at a significantly increased risk of unexplained infant death.
Despite all the talk of supine positioning, supervised "tummy time" in which infants are allowed to lie prone for some time is also important, Dr. Moon added. Tummy time is an important way for infants to develop neck, back, and arm muscles, and prevent positional plagiocephaly.