Family Doctor 2007 - (Page 196) pregnancy & newborn SIDS Understanding sudden infant death syndrome Sudden infant death syndrome, known as SIDS, is the unexplained death of a young baby. If you’re a new parent, it is probably one of your biggest fears. Here’s how you can lower the risk. By Barbara L. Bittner ‘Back to sleep’ When your baby sleeps, always lay him on his back. There are some simple steps you can take that can lower your child’s risk of SIDS. First, when your baby sleeps, always make sure that you lay him on his back, not on his stomach. Babies who sleep on their stomachs are more likely to die of SIDS. Next, be sure that wherever your baby sleeps, he is on a firm surface. Crib mattresses that are approved for safety will work just fine. Be sure to cover the mattress with a fitted sheet. Never put your N ew parents tend to have lots of worries — big and small. sudden infant death syndrome, or SIDS, can be one of the biggest. The good news is that the risk of SIDS is baby down to sleep on pillows, quilts or any other soft surface. And keep soft objects, toys and loose bedding out of the area where your baby sleeps. That means no pillows, blankets, quilts or padded crib bumpers should be in the crib (or wherever your baby sleeps). Make sure that your baby has his own sleeping space. He shouldn’t sleep in bed or on the couch with you. If you bring the baby into your bed to breastfeed, be sure to put him back into his own bed after he’s finished eating. It’s also important that your baby doesn’t get too warm while he sleeps. Dress him in light clothing and keep his room at a comfortable temperature. If you’re warm enough in the room wearing normal clothes, he will be too. relatively low, and there are actions that parents can take that can lower their child’s risk. What SIDS is… and what it isn’t SIDS is the sudden, unexplained death of a baby younger than 1 year of age. Most of the time, babies who die of SIDS seem to be healthy and normal. SIDS deaths usually happen while the baby is sleeping, and the baby does not seem to have suffered. But since the cause of SIDS isn’t really known, most parents are left with questions about why it happened. Knowing what SIDS is can be important, but it’s also important to understand what it’s not. It is not suffocation, and it isn’t caused by vomiting and choking, by minor illnesses or vaccines, or by child abuse or neglect. It also can’t be “caught” by other children. Unfortunately, SIDS is not completely preventable. Other ways to reduce the risk Though many people don’t like to give their children pacifiers because it can cause problems with their teeth later in life, there is some proof that children who use pacifiers while they sleep have a lower risk of SIDS. If you give your baby a pacifier, make sure it is clean. Finally, don’t smoke before or after you have your baby, and don’t let others smoke around him. Smoking while pregnant and exposure to secondhand smoke have been shown to raise the risk of SIDS. Barbara L. Bittner is an editor living in Albuquerque, NM. Tummy time I t’s true that sleeping on his back can help lower your baby’s risk of SIDS. That doesn’t mean that he doesn’t need time on his stomach. Tummy time — playtime that your child spends on his stomach — is important to help your baby’s head, neck and shoulder muscles develop the way they should. It’s also important for normal growth of the baby’s skull. Giving your baby tummy time during the day while he’s awake can also keep him from getting flat spots on his head, which happens when babies lie on their backs all the time. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION KidsHealth http://www.kidshealth.org/PageManager.jsp?dn= familydoctor&lic=44&article_set=21779 National Institute of Child Health and Human Development http://www.nichd.nih.gov/sids National SIDS/Infant Death Resource Center http://www.sidscenter.org 196 familydoctor 2007 http://www.kidshealth.org/PageManager.jsp?dn=familydoctor&lic=44&article_set=21779 http://www.kidshealth.org/PageManager.jsp?dn=familydoctor&lic=44&article_set=21779 http://www.nichd.nih.gov/sids http://www.sidscenter.org
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