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Background: Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) has been identified as a common cause of death among infants. However, in countries that introduced risk reduction and safe sleep campaigns, there has been a significant decline in SIDS-related deaths. Unfortunately, there has been little interest in SIDS by researchers in Nigeria. Objective: The aim of the study was to determine the level of parental awareness and awareness of the risk reduction measures about SIDS in Nigeria and to further determine the level of practice of the measures. Materials and Methods: This was a hospital-based cross-sectional study conducted over a 6-month period from April 2016 to September 2016 in the Well Baby Clinic of Enugu State University Teaching Hospital, Enugu. Four hundred and one respondents were enrolled, and interviewer-based questionnaires administered. Results were presented as percentages. IBM Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 20 was used for data analysis and statistical significance was set at p<0.05. Results: A total of 49 (12.2%) of the 401 respondents claimed to have heard of SIDS, but only 5/401 (1.2%) had good or some knowledge of SIDS. Mothers with higher educational qualification were more likely to have heard of SIDS (p=0.002, ?2=12.892). There was a significant association between mother’s knowledge of SIDS and laying of infants in a back-to-bed position during sleep (p=0.000, ?2=12.610). Conclusion: Knowledge of SIDS among mothers in Enugu is poor. It is hoped that this study will generate further public discourse and awareness of this significant cause of infant mortality, to reduce preventable deaths associated with it. More efforts should be geared toward creating awareness of SIDS and its associated risk factors through electronic media, social media, and health talks in developing countries.

Background: The first six months of life represents a critical period in the survival of an infant. There is high morbidity and mortality risk as the newborn with its inherent immunological deficits adapts to the extra-uterine life. Optimal nutrition plays a major role in the survival of infants during this early period of life hence the significance of appropriate feeding practices. Aim: This study aims to determine effect of exclusive breastfeeding on incidences of illness in the first six months of life. It also seeks to ascertain maternal and child factors associated with development of these illnesses in infants. Methods: This is a cross-sectional descriptive and analytical study involving four hundred mother-infant pairs attending the infant welfare clinic of the Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital (NAUTH) enrolled after meeting the study criteria. Results: Exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) was practiced by 33.5% of surveyed mothers. Mothers educational level (p=0.003), socioeconomic class (p=0.018), occupational status (p=0.025), antenatal care (p=0.015), mode of delivery (p=0.001), age of child (p=0.001) and giving of colostrums following birth (p=0.002) significantly predicted the feeding option adopted by mothers. Exclusively breastfed infants were 0.4 times less likely to visit hospital due illnesses (OR 0.41, CI 0.22-0.73). Frequent watery stooling (OR 0.05, CI 0.03-0.94), cough and/or catarrh with difficulty in breathing (OR 0.04, CI 0.01-0.85) and rashes and/or boils (OR 0.06, CI 0.01-0.83) were less likely to occur in exclusively breastfed infants. Increasing infant's age and delivery through caesarian section increased the likelihood of infant illness and hospital visits. Conclusion: EBF is significantly associated with reduction of morbidity in the first six months of life. Efforts to promote EBF should be sustained.

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