As long as you use a bedroom fan, your baby’s risk of SIDS decreases considerably, according to a new study published in October 6 issue of Archives of Pediatric & Adolescent Medicine.

No one could tell for sure what the cause of SIDS is. However, based on recent studies, the American Academy of Pediatrics has some recommendations in order to reduce SIDS risks. They include avoiding cigarettes during pregnancy, breastfeeding, putting the baby to sleep on his back and avoiding use of soft bedding.

According to a new study made by researchers at the Kaiser Permanente Division of Research in Oakland, Calif., fan use might be another way to prevent SIDS. More exactly, they found that fan use was linked to a 94 percent decrease in SIDS risks for infants who slept in rooms that exceeded 70 degrees Fahrenheit and to an 84 percent decrease for babies who slept in rooms with closed windows. The findings were based on answers of 185 mothers whose babies died of SIDS and mothers of more than 300 randomly selected babies.

“If parents, in addition to following the American Academy of Pediatrics recommendations for SIDS prevention, want to add an extra layer of protection, they could add a fan to the room,” said study senior author Dr. De-Kun Li, a reproductive and perinatal epidemiologist in the division of research at Kaiser Permanente.

SIDS is the third leading cause of death among infants aged between a week and a year, killing up to 2,500 infants annually in the United States and thousands worldwide. However, the number of SIDS deaths has decreased since early 1990s when federal officials recommended infants be placed on their backs to sleep rather than their stomachs.

The study was funded by grants from the National Institutes of Health and Kaiser Permanente.