SIDS: What Every Parent Should Know

THS

October is National Sudden Infant Death Syndrome Awareness month.
The American SIDS Institute is currently undergoing several studies to help aid in the search for more information about SIDS. Log on to www.sids.org to learn more.
Having soft and fluffy bedding materials in your baby’s bed can cause a dangerous buildup of carbon dioxide. Rebreathing exhaled carbon dioxide has been identified as a leading cause of SIDS.
If the thought of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) causes you to check your child’s crib constantly throughout the night, here’s some good news.
A nationwide campaign has increased awareness and reduced the incidence of SIDS by more than 50 percent in the last decade.
"The medical community underestimates that benefit of placing their baby on his or her back to sleep. After the 'back to sleep campaign' that was launched in 1994, the rates of SIDS dropped 20 times," said Dr. Colleen Boylston, pediatrician with Sweetgrass Pediatrics, and affiliated with Trident Health System.
What can you do to prevent SIDS? Whether you’re a parent or a parent-to-be, here are some tips to avoid the risk factors identified by the American SIDS Institute (www.sids.org).
Get prenatal care.
A lack of prenatal care with regular checkups during pregnancy puts babies at higher risk for premature birth. Babies born weighing less than 3.5 pounds are at a higher risk for SIDS. ?Don’t smoke.
Tobacco use during pregnancy and exposure to secondhand smoke following birth increases the infant’s risk for SIDS. ?Avoid having pregnancies too close together. The SIDS Institute recommends waiting at least one year between the birth of a child and the next pregnancy. ?Breastfeed your baby.
Studies show that breastfed babies have a lower SIDS rate than babies who are fed formula. ?Keep your baby germ-free. SIDS often occurs in association with relatively minor respiratory and gastrointestinal infections. Avoid crowds, and have people wash their hands before holding your child. ?Pick a good mattress. A firm mattress with no covering or only a sheet or light blanket is best. No stuffed animals or other items should be placed in the crib. ?Don’t bundle your baby.
Keep the room at a temperature that is comfortable for you. Overheating an infant may increase the risk for SIDS. ?Keep a close watch. If your baby is at high-risk for SIDS, consider using a home monitoring system to moniter his or her breathing.
Making the Family Bed Safe?Many parents wonder if their baby should sleep with them rather than in a crib. There is no evidence that bed-sharing protects against SIDS, though some studies show that room-sharing may be protective. If you are considering a family-bed sleep environment, keep the following safety tips in mind:
Remove pillows and comforters.
Don’t let your baby sleep with you if you are impared by extreme exhaustion or drug or alcohol abuse, or if you are a smoker.
Don’t let your infant share a bed with siblings.
Don’t cosleep on a sofa or chair as these are particularly dangerous environments for shared sleep.