Tag Archives: sudden infant death syndrome

Data supports back sleeping will reduce SIDS

Posted by on May 10, 2012 Comments Off

The American Academy of Pediatric (AAP) recommends newborns to not sleep in the prone position (which is simply described as baby sleeping on their stomach). The AAP went further and changed their policy statement to promote newborns to in the supine position (simply described as baby sleeping on their back). The recommendation was to help parents reduce the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) and other sleep-related infant deaths.

 

Since the policy and recommendation change the prevalence of babies sleeping in the supine position has increased from 13% in 1992 to 72% in 2001 and 75% as early as 2010. The rise in supine sleeping position has coincided with the drop in occurrence of SIDS (see Figure below).

SIDS chart by Pediatrics Journal - AAP

The amazing relationship between supine sleeping and SIDS can seen in the trend that SIDS level plateau around 2001. This coincides with surveys that found parents who put their baby to sleep in the back sleeping position didn’t increase drastically from 2001 through 2010. Even with the great reduction since 1990, SIDS is still the 3rd leading cause of infant mortality and the leading cause of death for newborns from 28 days to 1 years of age.

Here are some great tips for parents to help your baby sleep on their backs –

  1. Don’t smoke during pregnancy
  2. Don’t drink during pregnancy
  3. Have your newborn sleep in the crib or bassinet (in the same room for easy monitoring)
  4. Always place babies to sleep on their backs
  5. Do not overheat the baby
  6. Use firm mattress and don’t bring babies to sleep on adult beds or with parents
  7. Remove toys, soft bedding, clothes, etc from crib while babies are sleeping

Share this information with other parents today, so we can reduce the occurrence of SIDS.

 

References:

http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/128/5/e1341.full

Facts about Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)

Posted by on March 28, 2012 Comments Off

A lot of the articles talks about how swaddling reduce the occurrence of SIDS.  Well, what is SIDS exactly?  SIDS is an acronym for Sudden Infant Death Syndrome and it is the abrupt and unexplained death of a baby under the age of 1 year.  Many babies who fall victim to SIDS are found in their cribs and that is why people may refer to SIDS as “crib death.”  But cribs are no the culprit and cause for SIDS.

Here are some facts that you need to know about SIDS:

  1. SIDS is the leading cause of death for babies age 1 to 12 months
  2. Most SIDS death happen in babies under 6 months old
  3. Babies placed to sleep on their stomachs are much more likely to die of SIDS than babies placed on their backs to sleep
  4. Babies are more likely to succumb to SIDS if they are placed to sleep on top of a soft bedding or if they are covered by soft bedding

Here are some ways you can help to lower the risk of SIDS:

  1. Swaddle your baby
  2. Always place baby on his or her back to sleep (even for naps)
  3. Place your baby on a firm mattress & safety approved crib
  4. Remove soft, fluffy, stuffed toys, and loose bedding from your baby’s sleep area
  5. Remove anything that is covering your baby’s face and head during sleep
  6. Do not allow smoking around the baby
  7. Don’t let your baby get too warm during sleep
  8. Use a clean & dry pacifier when placing your baby to sleep
  9. Let everyone who cares for your baby know that they must follow all these instructions