SIDS - Sudden Infant Death Syndrome Causes and Prevention

By JB Anthony - 2007-10-07 - Viewed 775 times. Find more articles like this in our Womens Health Issues category.

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You may have heard of what SIDS is. Many unfortunate parents have been told that it was SIDS that caused the death of their baby.

If you know nothing more about this condition than the fact that it is strongly linked with infant sleep, then you should try to improve your knowledge about it. After all, SIDS is the leading cause of death in infants from 1 month to one year. Knowing about SIDS might help ensure that you can help prevent your baby from having it.

What Is SIDS?

SIDS stands for Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. The term cot death is often used in the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand. It is associated with the quick and swift death of infants during their sleep. A parent could wake up in the morning and simply find the baby dead in his crib. This condition is a little mysterious because the causes are not completely known and SIDS could happen even to babies who are completely healthy.

SIDS is responsible for roughly 0.05%, or 1 death per 2,000 births in the U.S.

What causes SIDS?

At present, the identifiable cause for SIDS cannot be determined. Doctors and scientists are still really trying to figure out the reason for it. There are however, some studies which point out that some beliefs about SIDS causes may simply not be true. It purports that SIDS is not contagious and is not a hereditary condition. SIDS is also not caused by suffocation.

Several theories point the possible causes of SIDS. Many experts believe that SIDS may be caused by infections, respiratory blockages or some birth defects. There are also some who theorize that SIDS could possibly be caused by toxins and chemicals found in the baby's mattress, beddings and sheets. As for now, all these are theories that need further scientific backing.

What are SIDS Risk Factors?

Although it is not yet possible to predict exactly which babies will have the condition, there are some risk factors that may increase the risk of SIDS.

It is believed that mothers who have poor health during pregnancy increase the possibility that their infants could later die of SIDS.

Unhealthy infants that are the result of poor maternal health or poor pre natal care could also therefore be candidates for SIDS.

It is also believed that mothers who are smokers or drug users during pregnancy are also increase the risk of their infants. Of course, smoking in the presence of your infant after birth is also always unhealthy and might just be a risk factor too.

SIDS usually occurs between 2 to 4 months. Statistical studies also show that male infants have a higher incidence of SIDS phenomena compared to female babies.

Can SIDS Be Prevented?

Preventing something which does not have a clear cause is quite difficult. However, it is always a good idea to take some precautions by encouraging certain baby sleeping patterns or habis.

One of the first major recommendations is that babies should always be put on their backs when they are asleep.

A 2003 study published in Pediatrics, which investigated racial disparities in infant mortality in Chicago, found that previously or currently breastfeeding infants in the study had 1/5 the rate of SIDS as non-breastfed infants.

A 2005 study indicated that use of a pacifier is associated with a 90% reduction in the risk of SIDS. It has been speculated that the raised surface of the pacifier holds the infant's face away from the mattress, reducing the risk of suffocation.

Infants who die from SIDS tend to have higher concentrations of nicotine and cotinine in their lungs than those who die from other causes.

A controversial approach to lowering SIDS rates is co-sleeping. Infant deaths in adult beds are also reduced when parents are non-smoking, not impaired by drugs or alcohol, not obese, and are not using fluffy comforters and pillows.

Health Canada issued an advisory recommending against the use of bumper pads, with the warning that they may decrease the amount of oxygen rich air available to the baby.

It is also recommended that cribs should be kept free of clutter, toys, extra pillows and even blankets during a baby's sleep time.

Learn more practical advices on baby safety and safe baby furniture. Log on to the best baby resource online.

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