written by Steve Sandstrom, SIU School of Medicine
A child’s birth is the beginning of a set of daily wonders for the new parents – and many sleepless nights. One cause for worry can be the small but frightening risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.
SIDS is an unexplained cause of death occurring in infants when they are sleeping. It’s the leading cause of death among children under one year old, claiming the lives of more than 2,000 infants in the US each year.
The exact cause of SIDS has not been determined, and the phenomenon is not well understood by medical experts. Dr. Tracy Milbrandt, an SIU pediatrician, says, “The way we define SIDS is an unexplained death of a seemingly otherwise healthy infant under a year of age, where there really is no identifiable cause of death. What we do know is that it typically is the result of some sort of lack of oxygen.”
The good news is that SIDS rates for the United States have dropped steadily since 1994 in all racial and ethnic groups. Thousands of infant lives have been saved, but some ethnic groups are still at higher risk for SIDS.
Dr. Milbrandt explains some risk factors for SIDS that can help parents be more aware. “Being male is an increased risk for sudden infant death syndrome, and babies who are born early or have low birth weights when they are born are at higher risk. One of the biggest factors we see is mothers who smoke during pregnancy. That increases the risk by three times for babies to die from SIDS.”
Parents and caregivers can take steps to reduce the risk of SIDS:
● Always place your baby on his or her back to sleep, for naps and at night.
● Use a firm sleep surface, such as a mattress in a safety-approved crib covered by a fitted sheet.
● Keep baby’s sleep area in the same room where you sleep.
● Remove soft objects, toys, crib bumpers and loose bedding from your baby’s sleep area.
● Give your baby a dry, unattached pacifier.
● Do not let your baby get too hot during sleep.
To reduce the risk of SIDS, women should:
● Get regular health care during pregnancy.
● Not smoke, drink alcohol or use illegal drugs during pregnancy or after your baby is born.
● Breastfeed
● Follow your health care provider’s guidance on your baby’s vaccines and regular health checkups.
● Avoid products that claim to reduce the risk of SIDS.
● Do not use home heart or breathing monitors.
● Give your baby plenty of tummy time when he or she is awake and when someone is watching.
For more information about SIDS, visit the American Academy of Pediatrics and HealthyChildren.org, or talk to your child’s physician.
copyright © SIU School of Medicine, Springfield, Illinois.
Read more: http://www.sj-r.com/article/20141014/BLOGS/310149992/-1/blogs01#ixzz3GohniZqz
Sources: Safe to Sleep® and the American Academy of Pediatrics Task Force on SIDS