1. The Sadness of SIDS
Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), also called crib death, is diagnosed when an infant under one-year-old dies and no medical cause is found. Most often the death occurs in a crib during the night and there's nothing a parent could have done. The tragic loss of a precious baby without any explanation makes coping even more difficult for grief-stricken parents. The rate of SIDS is approximately 1.4 per 1,000 births, although the number has been declining.
2. Back to Sleep
The single most important thing you can do to reduce your infant's risk of SIDS is to put him to sleep on his back. The incidence of SIDS continues to drop since the American Academy of Pediatrics endorsed the "Back to Sleep" campaign in 1995. Parents and other caregivers are encouraged to put babies to sleep on their backs at nighttime and during naps. Strangely, babies who sleep on their stomachs for naps but on their backs at night have a higher rate of SIDS.
3. Safe and Sound in Bed
Cribs and bassinets should have a firm mattress with a fitted crib sheet. They should be free of blankets, stuffed animals and pillows, all of which pose a suffocation hazard. Dress babies warmly, but do not overdress. Monitors are available that consist of a sensor pad that can detect your baby's slightest movements. If your baby has been absolutely still for 20 seconds, an alarm will sound. This gives an additional level of protection from SIDS.
4. A Tragic Mystery
All science has to offer parents are commonalities between babies who have died of SIDS, but it's not a magic formula to ensure a baby won't die of SIDS either. Factors that seem to increase the rate of SIDS simply don't have an effect on some babies, while others never exposed to those risk factors continue to die of SIDS. Studies have shown an increased risk of SIDS in babies exposed to cigarette smoke, either while the mother is pregnant or after the baby is born. Babies under six months should sleep close to, but not in the same bed, as an adult. Breastfeeding and the use of pacifiers seem to lower the risk of SIDS. Babies born to teenage mothers have a higher rate of SIDS, and if subsequent children are born during the mother's teenage years the risk is even greater.
5. Protection Far From Home
It's important that all caregivers understand modern preventative measures regarding SIDS. When you tour a potential day care facility, check crib mattresses and policies for putting babies to sleep on their backs. When your parents were raising children, the recommendation was to put a child to sleep on their stomach. Inform them of the "Back to Sleep" campaign. If you use a travel crib or one provided by a hotel when you vacation, check the condition and firmness of the mattress before using it.
