Each day, parents head off to work, leaving their children in the care of someone else. The last thing they think will happen is death. Yet the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) reports that 20 percent of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) cases occur while the child is in the care of someone other than its parent. One look at the statistics and it is easy to see why only trusting qualified and trained caregivers is of the utmost importance.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, there are more than 750,000 childcare centers in the country, employing around 800,000 caregivers. Additionally, another 678,000 caregivers are self-employed. There is no doubt that reliability of those taking care of the country's children is an important issue. This is especially true when it comes to sudden infant death syndrome. As of 2004, statistics show that 55 percent of mothers with infants are in the workforce. Even with many dads taking on caregiver roles, it's still likely that a lot of babies are in the care of someone other than their parents during the workday.

SIDS, according to the American SIDS Institute, is the sudden, unexplained death of an infant under the age of 1. The label is given following a thorough investigation of the case, provided that no other cause has been found. Each year, roughly 2,500 infants die from SIDS in the United States, and thousands more die throughout the world.

"According to research conducted by the journal Pediatrics, one in five deaths occurs when an infant is in the care of someone other than the parent, thus a separate caregiver," says Dr. Maria Kelly, a clinical assistant professor of general pediatrics at the University of Florida. "Due to this disturbing statistic, parents need to be sure that any caregiver watching their child (grandparents, daycare workers, babysitters and friends) are familiar with SIDS safety and prevention measures."

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