Sudden Infant Deaths Awareness and how to reduce the risk
- busybeebabyme
- Feb 21, 2021
- 3 min read
This topic is close to my heart, those of you who know me will know we lost our beautiful nephew Mason to SIDS at the age of 17 months. So I do like to raise awareness whenever I can.
As terrifying as this thought is, I don't write this post to scare parents but I do to raise awareness on steps you can take to reduce the risks.
Sudden Infant Death Syndrome also known as Cot Death is an unexplained death of a child under the age of 1 years old, it is highly unlikely to be older than 1 years old however unfortunately Mason was part of the small percentage. The risk of SIDS peaks between 2 and 3 months and occurs more often in males than females.
While the cause of SIDS has not been yet discovered, some common factors have been identified to increase the risk of SIDS. This includes:
Infant sleeping on stomach
Use of soft or an unsafe bed
Use of loose materials in the bed i.e. blankets, pillows, cushions, cot bumpers etc.
Overheating due to clothing and room temperature
Mothers age younger than 20 years of age
Mother smoking during pregnancy
Premature birth or low birth weight
Exposure to second hand smoke
Research suggests that SIDS occur in babies who develop brain defects possibly due to exposure of toxic substance or lack of oxygen to the foetus (for eg. from smoking). However scientists believe that this alone would not cause SIDS but may occur if you combine these events with another for example loose materials in the bed. As an infant with a brain abnormality may not send the protective wake up signal if a blanket was to cover there face where an infant without these abnormalities would cry. Similarly when a baby is beginning to overheat they would react by kicking their feet or crying to show their discomfort.
There is no treatment for SIDS however there are steps you can take to reduce the risk:
Place the baby to sleep on his or her back.
Make sure the baby sleeps on a firm mattress, in a safety-approved cot.
Remove soft, fluffy bedding, pillows and stuffed toys from the baby’s sleep area.
Make sure the baby’s head and face stay uncovered during sleep.
If you do use a blanket, keep it away from the baby’s mouth and nose. To use a blanket, make sure the baby’s feet are at the bottom of the cot, that the blanket is no higher than the baby’s chest, and the blanket is tucked in around the bottom of the cot mattress.
Ensure that your baby does not become overheated. Keep the baby’s room at a temperature that is comfortable for adults, and avoid too many layers of clothing or blankets. (I found the GroEgg brilliant for this)
Do not allow smoking around your baby.
Myths around SIDS are:
Immunizations cause SIDS. There is no connection between immunizations and SIDS, according to a 2003 study by the Institute of Medicine’s (IOM) Board on Health Promotion and Disease Prevention (USA).
Infants are at a greater risk for choking when sleeping on their backs.
Side sleeping is just as safe as back sleeping. Side sleeping is not as safe as back sleeping. Infants who sleep on their sides can roll onto their stomachs, putting them at a greater risk for SIDS.
For more information on this please have a look at the following website:
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