Have you ever wondered that how can a baby who is so perfectly fine, suddenly passes away for no reason?
This situation is being referred to as Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, or SIDS, which often happens to a baby under the age of one. Since it always occurs while a child is sleeping, you may also familiar with death from the crib or cot death.
While the cause is unidentified, it seems that SIDS may be correlated with deficiencies in the brain’s portion of an infant that regulates sleep respiration and arousal.
How Does It Happen?
According to experts, a combination of physical and sleep environmental factors will make a child more prone to SIDS. Such effects are different from child to child.
There are two factors that parents should know:
Physical Factor
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Respiratory Infection
Many babies who died of SIDS recently had a cold, which may lead to difficulties in breathing.
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Cerebral Defects
Some children are born with issues that make them more likely to die of SIDS. The part of the brain that regulates breathing and sleep arousal has not evolved fully in many of these babies to function properly.
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Low Weight At Birth
The possibility that the brain of a baby has not fully developed is increased by premature birth or becoming part of a multiple births. So he or she has less control over such automatic processes like heart rate and breathing.
Sleep Environmental Factors
Do know that the items in your baby’s crib/cot or their sleeping positions could combine with their physical problems to increase the risk of SIDS such as:
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Sleeping on a soft surface.
A soft mattress or a waterbed may block an infant’s airway by lying face down on a fluffy comforter.
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From overheating.
Being too warm while sleeping will increase the risk of SIDS for a baby.
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Bed sharing
While the risk of SIDS is minimised if an infant sleeps in the same room with his or her parents, however, the risk still increases if the baby sleeps with parents, siblings or pets in the SAME bed.
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Sleeping on the stomach or on the side.
Babies placed to sleep in these positions can have more trouble breathing than those positioned on their backs.
Risk Factors
While sudden infant death syndrome may affect any newborn, researchers have identified some variables that could increase the risk of a baby which includes:
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Sex.
Boys have a significantly higher risk of dying from SIDS than girls.
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Race.
It occurs most frequently among African-Americans, Native Americans, and natives of Alaska and the doctors aren’t certain why.
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Age.
Between the second and fourth months of life, babies are the most fragile.
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Secondhand smokers.
The higher risk of SIDS is for babies who live with smokers.
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Family history.
Babies with relatives who die from SIDS are at greater risk of developing SIDS.
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Being premature.
Both being born early and having a low birth weight may increase your baby’s chances of SIDS.
Other than these factors, please note that there are maternal risk factors too.
The mother also can affect her baby’s risk of SIDS during pregnancy, especially if she is:
- Below 20 years old.
- Cigarette smoker.
- Drinks alcohol or uses drugs.
- Insufficient prenatal care.
Can We Prevent SIDS?
It is no doubt that we all love our babies and all we ever want is for them to live a long and healthy life.
There’s no guaranteed way to stop SIDS, but by following these tips, you can help your baby have a safer sleep:
Keep the crib empty as possible.
Use a good and firm mattress and avoid extra pillows or plushies/stuffed toys inside the crib. These can cause breathing problems if your baby’s face is pressed against them.
Breastfeed your baby, if possible.
Breastfeeding for a minimum of six months reduces the risk of SIDS.
Do not let your baby overheat.
Try a sleep sack or other sleeping clothing that does not need additional covers to keep your baby safe and do not cover the head of your baby.
Sleep on the back.
Positioned your baby to sleep on their back, rather than on their stomach for the first year of life, any time you or someone else put the baby to sleep.
Give your baby pacifier.
Put your baby to sleep within the first year of life with a pacifier. Don’t push it if your baby refuses the pacifier. You don’t have to fix it if the pacifier falls out during the night.
Lastly, remember to always refer to a professional doctor for advice especially on Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).