Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, better known as SIDS, is one of the scariest health risks that new parents have to face. The condition is made all the more terrifying because we know very little about why it happens, but the good news is that advancing medical research is finally starting to shed light on the causes and risk factors associated with SIDS, and it’s now becoming much clearer what parents can do to keep their babies safe.
What is SIDS?
One of the defining features of SIDS is that it is unexpected and often unexplained. Other potentially fatal inflictions that affect young babies have their own names. SIDS is by nature more difficult to classify. It happens to children from all ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds, and it apparently occurs everywhere in the world. It happens without warning, and it often happens while the child is sleeping, so that many parents don’t even realize that it has occurred until hours later.
For still unexplained reasons, SIDS seems to occur less frequently to children under the age of one month. It happens most frequently to children aged two to four months. From four months on, incidence steadily drops until bottoming out at around two years old. For children under one year old, it is the most common cause of death.What causes SIDS?Again, SIDS is still by nature a mysterious illness. However, theories abound about what could cause the condition, and a number of potentially hazardous risk factors have been identified. All of the following factors have been proposed, some more credibly than others, as potential contributors to SIDS:
• overheating• soft bedding, pillows, blankets, or toys where the baby sleeps• substance abuse in the mother during pregnancy• smoking during pregnancy or the presence of second-hand smoke in the home• premature birth• a maternal age younger than 20• more health in the pregnant mother• lying on the stomach• abnormalities or underdevelopment in the section of the brain that controls breathing• co-sleeping• low levels of oxygen in the blood
Although some of these things may be contributing factors, it’s important to note that many cases of SIDS probably have multiple combined factors, and some may be caused by things that we don’t yet know about. In fact, in many cases of SIDS it is impossible to identify the exact cause. Parents of a child who dies of SIDS often blame themselves and wonder if there was anything they should have done different. But while these negative feelings are certainly understandable, they’re usually not justified. Parents in this situation should seek a professional to help them worth through their feelings.Reducing SIDS riskGiven the fact that many cases of SIDS appear completely random, preventing this condition can be difficult. However, researchers have begun to identify very definitive actions that you can take to reduce your child’s risk.
One of the most important factors is sleeping position. A growing body of research has shown that SIDS occurs much more frequently to babies who are not sleeping on their backs, and “Back to Sleep” campaigns have already greatly reduced SIDS frequency in several countries.
There are a few ideas about why babies who sleep on their stomachs or sides are more prone to SIDS. One idea is that sleeping on the stomach causes the baby to “rebreathe”—that is, to keep breathing in the exhaled air so that the baby doesn’t get enough oxygen. In other cases, stomach sleeping may lead to the baby being smothered in the bedding.
In addition to back sleeping, doctors recommend that parents take the following precautions to prevent SIDS:
• Breastfeeding: A few studies have shown that babies who are breastfed have lower SIDS risk.• Firm surfaces: Softer and fluffier surfaces have been shown to increase the risk of SIDS. Make sure your baby sleeps on a relatively firm surface with no soft objects within reach.• Not overheating: Make sure the room temperature is comfortable.• Avoid drugs and alcohol: All drugs and alcohol should be avoided during pregnancy, and there should be no second-hand smoke in the household after the baby is born.• Regular check-ups: Have your doctor check your baby’s health on a regular basis.• No co-sleeping: You can keep the crib or bassinet in the room where you sleep, but co-sleeping has been shown to increase SIDS risk.
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