1. Your child should preferably sleep in his own crib. Bring him next to you only if he wakes up and cries or wants to be fed. Remember, don't breastfeed him when he's sleeping.

2. Don't smoke in your child's room. If you have a balcony, convert your home into a no-smoking zone and smoke only in the balcony.

3. Use a firm mattress. The mattress should be exactly the length of the crib base. There should be no space where your child's head can get stuck, or he may get smothered.

4. When placing your child in the crib, cover him with a light blanket, even in the summer, if you are sleeping with the air-conditioner on. Make sure that his head is never covered with the blanket or sheet.

5. Make sure the sheets are clean.

6. Keep a soft light on, next to his crib.

7. No matter how adorable your baby looks surrounded by soft toys and stuffed animals, it's best to avoid placing them inside his crib, especially when he's sleeping.

8. Never ever put your infant to sleep by placing him on top of a pillow.

9. Similarly, avoid putting your child to sleep on a sofa. His head may slip in between the crevices, causing him to suffocate.

10. Don't put your infant to sleep on his stomach.

11. Make sure your child's room is well ventilated.

12. If you are both working parents, you may feel better at the thought of spending time with your child at night by sleeping with him. This encourages parent-child bonding. However, don't bring your child into your bed if you are intoxicated on alcohol, doped or heavily sedated for any reason. You should be in such a frame of mind, that you are able to respond to your baby's slightest movement.

13. Don't put an infant (less than ten months) to sleep on an adult bed with another sibling, especially if the sibling is just a couple of years older. Young children are unaware of the dangers of suffocation. Make sure that if your infant sleeps out of his crib, he sleeps with an adult.

14. If your child is in your bed, don't cover him with your quilt. Place him in his own baby blanket.