A new study, published in October's Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, suggests that using a fan to circulate air and improve ventilation seemed to lower the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). More research is needed, but the results from the California study found that the risk of SIDS for infants in rooms with a fan was 72 per cent lower than those who slept in rooms without a fan. In addition, opening a window also reduced the risk by 36 per cent, the researchers said. Since 1999, the incidence of SIDS in the United States has decreased by more than half to about 2,100 in 2003 as more parents followed the "Back to Sleep" campaign and placed infants on their back to sleep. Experts also recommend a firm mattress, removing toys and pillows from cribs, and keeping infants from getting too warm.
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