 Teddy Poe would have celebrated his fifth birthday Wednesday, February 4th. But instead of planning a party and shopping for gifts, his mom and dad will donate toys to St. Louis Children's Hospital.
Teddy passed away from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). He was three months old.
His parents decided to hold a toy drive in his memory and deliver the toys the hospital on Teddy's birthday. This will be their fifth delivery. And since Teddy would have been five, all the toys donated will be geared toward five-year-olds.
Andy and Laura Poe hope to raise awareness about this mysterious disease, a disease that has no known cure or cause. Three thousand babies die each year from SIDS, most before they are six months old.
 So far, the best advice doctors can give parents to help prevent SIDS is to put infants to sleep on their backs.
"Research has focused on understanding why babies stop breathing and on efforts to encourage parents to place babies on their backs," says Dr. James Kemp, co-director of sleep lab at St. Louis Children's Hospital.
Other tips for reducing the risk of SIDS include:
- Place babies on their backs to sleep
- Provide a firm mattress for the crib
- Keep toys, blankets and pillows out of the crib
- Monitor the temperature to prevent babies from getting too hot
- Maintain a smoke-free environment and do not smoke during pregnancy
- Get prenatal care and make sure your baby's shots are up to date
- Breastfeed if possible
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