I want to make sure my daughter is warm enough at night and would like to put a small blanket over her once she falls asleep. She is 10 mos. old, big for her age and can sit up on her own and pull herself to standing in her crib. I just want to make sure it is safe to do this before I do anything further. I know you are supposed to keep the crib clear of toys, blankets, etc but for how long? In other words, how long do I have to worry about SIDS?

The current recommendation is that all children under the age of one year should sleep under the "safe bedding" guidelines. With that said, 90% of all children who die of SIDS are under six months of age, with 2 to 4 months being the critical period. As far as prone sleeping, it is believed that once an infant reaches the developmental stage where they can easily "flip" from tummy to back and visa versa, their risk is lowered simply by their ability to do so. However, most infants who are consistently placed on their back from birth continue to prefer this as their sleep position.

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