SIDS and safe sleeping

SIDS is the sudden death of an infant under one year of age which remains unexplained. SIDS stands for "sudden infant death syndrome". The majority of SIDS cases are babies who die in their sleep and it is a sad thing that leaves parents inconsolable and often blaming themselves, because in most cases, doctors can find no medical reason for death.

It has been discovered that babies who die of SIDS are born with one or more conditions that make them especially vulnerable to stresses that occur in the normal life of an infant, including both internal and external influences. SIDS occurs in all types of families. Most deaths from SIDS occur by the end of the sixth month. African-American infants are twice as likely and Native American infants are about three times more likely to die of SIDS than Caucasian infants and more boys than girls fall victim to SIDS as reported by kidshealth.org.

Facts about SIDS:

• The major cause of death in infants from 1 month to 1 year of age, with most deaths occurring between 2 and 4 months.
• Sudden and silent--the infant was seemingly healthy.
• Currently, unpredictable and unpreventable.
• A death that occurs quickly, often associated with sleep and with no signs of suffering.
• Designated as a diagnosis of exclusion.
• A recognized medical disorder listed in the International Classification of Diseases, 9th Revision (ICD-9).

Risk factors: Smoking, drinking, or drug use during pregnancy Poor prenatal care Prematurity or low birth-weight Mothers younger than 20 Smoke exposure following birth Overheating from excessive sleepwear and bedding Stomach sleeping.

How to reduce the risk of SIDS:

• Place your baby on a firm mattress to sleep, never on a pillow, water bed, sheepskin, or other soft surface. To prevent re breathing, do not put blankets, comforters, stuffed toys, or pillows near the baby.
• Make sure your baby does not get too warm while sleeping. Keep the room at a temperature that feels comfortable for an adult in a short-sleeve shirt. Some researchers suggest that a baby who gets too warm could go into a deeper sleep, making it more difficult to awaken.
• Do not smoke, drink, or use drugs while pregnant and do not expose your baby to secondhand smoke. Infants of mothers who smoked during pregnancy are three times more likely to die of SIDS than those whose mothers were smoke-free; exposure to secondhand smoke doubles a baby's risk of SIDS. Researchers speculate that smoking might affect the central nervous system, starting prenatally and continuing after birth, which could place the baby at increased risk.

• Receive early and regular prenatal care.
• Make sure your baby has regular well-baby checkups.
• Breastfeed, if possible. There is some evidence that breastfeeding may help decrease the incidence of SIDS. The reason for this is not clear, though researchers think that breast milk may help protect babies from infections that increase the risk of SIDS.
• If your baby has GERD, be sure to follow your doctor's guidelines on feeding and sleep positions.
• Put your baby to sleep with a pacifier during the first year of life. If your baby rejects the pacifier, don't force it. Pacifiers have been linked with lower risk of SIDS. If you're breastfeeding, try to wait until after the baby is 1 month old so that breastfeeding can be established.
• While infants can be brought into a parent's bed for nursing or comforting, parents should return them to their cribs or bassinets when they're ready to sleep. It's a good idea to keep the cribs and bassinets in the room where parents' sleep. This has been linked with a lower risk of SIDS.

Safe Sleeping: To help your baby sleep safely you need to consider where they sleep, how they sleep, the bedding they use and what's in the cot. The number one way to reduce that risk is by placing sleeping infants on their backs.

• Beds: It is recommended that babies sleep in a properly manufactured crib with a proper mattress and nothing in the crib. So make sure you buy one that meets the standards. I am sure the store can help you with that, your nurse or even the hospital.
• Car Seats: SIDS has also occurred while infants were sleeping in car seats, strollers and jumpers. Always be extremely cautious if your child has fallen asleep in any of these places. If the child is at home then the child should be placed in their crib. Pressure across airways from car seat straps or clothing can also increase the likelihood of infant asphyxia.
• Flat Heads: Otherwise known as positional plagiocephaly, it occurs when a baby remains lying on their back. An infant's skull is quite soft but the ‘flat head' is often only temporary, and there are techniques to avoid it. This includes supervised ‘tummy time' when the infant is awake, as well as rotating the infant's position in the crib. Alternating your infant's head position by placing the infant at the head and then foot of the crib will also encourage the infant to turn their head on their own.
• Have infant sleep in a crib in the same room as caregiver.
• Pacifiers may have some protective effect against SIDS, but should never be forced on an
  infant.
• Be cautious of an infant sleeping in a car seat, jumper or baby carriage.

Organizations: The National SIDS Council of Australia, trading as SIDS and Kids, is a high-profile and well-respected not-for-profit organization. SIDS and Kids is dedicated to saving babies' lives through the elimination of sudden and unexpected infant deaths, and supporting bereaved families. SIDS and Kids is dedicated to saving the lives of babies and children during pregnancy, birth, infancy and childhood and to supporting bereaved families. Look on the internet for one in your state and area, and l am sure they can also supply you with all the help and information you need.

(Sources: sids-network.org, kidshealth.org, torontocas.ca)