SIDS:Sudden Infant Death Syndrome
by Julie Fletcher
Almost every parent is aware of SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome). If you are not familiar with SIDS, it is when a baby between the ages of 0-12 months dies without any known cause. Even with an autopsy a cause is still unknown at this time.
There are things you can do to reduce the risk of SIDS with your baby. Recently researchers discovered that the use of fans in the room where a baby is sleeping reduces the occurences of SIDS by a whopping 72%! A fan increases ventilation which may reduce the CO2 buildup that can collect around a baby’s face. Try using a fan, even a ceiling fan, on low. It will also give you more peace of mind.
Other things you can do:
*Place baby on his or her back for sleeping. Never on the belly!
*Use a firm matteress.
*Avoid soft bedding such as pillows and comforters.
*Do not overdress baby for bed. A blanket sleeper is enough in most climates.
*Do not overheat the room. (Here is where a fan can really help.)
*Do not sleep with baby.
*Never put baby to bed with older siblings.
Many parents co-sleep with their infants. I am one of those. I cannot totally ask that you do not sleep with your baby when I do so, myself. If you do choose to co-sleep, please do so safely. Avoid comforters and if possible, invest in one of the special co-sleepers that go in your bed.
This entry was posted on Wednesday, January 21st, 2009 at 4:31 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
April 10th, 2009 at 5:30 pm
In most states, if your child enters into any kind of daycare outside of your home, there is no requirements for the daycare providers to have an intimate knowledge of SIDS. Even if you have done all of the above, if your child is under the age of 6 months, it is best to keep your baby at home or leave your child in a smaller infant daycare (less than 4 infants) and make sure they do exactly what you do at home (e.g., back-to-sleep in on a firm matress, no toys, pillows or blankets, pacifier, swaddling, etc.). Infants are at a 19-times greater risk of SIDS if they are back sleepers and are put on their stomachs (or placed on a pillow where they can flip to their stomachs).