Does mom's having a glass of wine increase the risk of SIDS? How about a cup of coffee? Might pacifiers cause SIDS? Several studies were published in the August 1999 edition of the Archives of Disease in Childhood that showed no increased risk of SIDS from any of these behaviors (although there is an increased risk with heavy alcohol or coffee drinking). Pacifiers, if anything, have a protective effect. Tobacco use though, during pregnancy or baby's first year, causes more preventable SIDS deaths than any other single cause. And smoking still occurs in 25% of pregnancies in the United States (J Pharmacol Exp Ther, Jun 1998). How unspeakable to find your precious baby dead in the crib. How much worse if you played a role. It's worth knowing everything you can about preventing SIDS.