Kimberly Coleman-Phox and colleagues at Kaiser Permanente's Division of Research in Oakland, Calif., analyzed information from interviews with mothers of 185 infants who had died from SIDS and mothers of 312 randomly selected infants from the same county, maternal race/ethnicity and age.

Mothers were asked about fan use, pacifier use, open window in the room at the infant's last sleep, room location, sleep surface, number and type of covers over the infant, bedding under the infant and room temperature.

Compared with infants who did not die from SIDS, at their last sleep, more infants who died from SIDS: were placed on their stomachs or sides, did not use a pacifier, slept on a soft surface and shared a bed.

The study, published in the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, found having a fan on during sleep was associated with a 72 percent decrease in SIDS risk compared to sleeping in a room without a fan. Fan use in rooms with temperatures above 69 degrees Fahrenheit was associated with a 94 percent decreased risk of SIDS compared with no fan use.