What is SIDS?

SIDS stands for Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. It is the sudden, unexpected death of an apparently healthy infant under one year old that is unexplained even after a thorough investigation or autopsy. It is also known as “crib death” since it happens when the baby is asleep.

What is the cause of SIDS?

There is no definite cause for SIDS. That’s why it is frightening for parents like me whose baby is less than a year old. It can strike without warning. According to kidshealth.org:

Most deaths due to SIDS occur between 2 and 4 months of age, and incidence increases during cold weather. African-American infants are twice as likely and Native American infants are about three times more likely to die of SIDS than Caucasian infants. More boys than girls fall victim to SIDS.

But some experts say that SIDS could happen when:

• a baby sleeps on tummy position
• a baby is overheated from bedding or sleepwear
• the crib has too much pillows it it
• the baby is sleeping on a soft surface
• the mother is younger that 20
• a baby is born premature
• the mother smoked, used drug or drank during pregnancy
• baby is exposed to secondhand smoke following birth
• poor prenatal care

Also, consider this from babycenter.com

One study published in 2007 cites a connection between hearing ability and SIDS. Pediatric anesthesiologist Daniel D. Rubens at Seattle Children’s Hospital studied the results of newborn hearing tests and found that babies who died of SIDS had consistently tested lower on the inner ear function of the right ear than babies who didn’t die of SIDS. (Healthy infants typically test stronger in the right ear than the left; these results flipped those scores.) This study suggests new areas of research and points to the possibility of identifying babies who are at higher risk for SIDS.

How to Prevent SIDS?

Here are some tips to prevent SIDS from babycenter.com

• Put your baby to sleep on his back.
• Take care of yourself and your unborn baby while you’re pregnant.
• Don’t allow smoking around your baby.
• Choose bedding carefully.
• Avoid overheating your baby.
• Try to limit exposure to infection.

Additional tips

• Breastfeed if possible
• Avoid co-sleeping with your baby
• Swaddling is suggested
• Consider using a pacifier
• Consider having a sleep monitor

The latest information on how to prevent SIDS is the use of fans. According to cbcnews.ca,

Using a fan or opening a window could reduce the risk of SIDS by improving ventilation, researchers suggest.

The ventilation may help by preventing carbon dioxide from building up around a baby’s nose and mouth so they are less likely to breathe in exhaled air, the researchers speculated.

In my opinion, using a fan could also help put your baby to sleep as the sound of a fan is a “white noise” for the baby.

Sources: babycenter.com, kidshealth.org

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