In Amercia 5,000_6,000 infant deaths are attributed to SIDS each year.
SIDS is the leading cause of death of children 1month to 1 years of age.
Sudden infant death syndrome is tragic and disturbing for any family, however 1 in every 500 babies will die from this. One of the most puzzling aspects about this is that there appears to be no warnings although recent studies have shown that in some cases there may have been some minor signs in the preceding few days i.e Snuffles , listlessness , drowsiness or even a breathing difficulty, some babies may even show a raised temperature.
Once it was established that cot deaths are more common in winter than in summer, research has concentrated on possible explanations associated with changes in the baby's temperature.
The evidence suggests that it may not be cold but an excessively high body temperature that should be associated with cot death.
An ideal temperature for the baby is 65F ( 18C)..Light but warm bedclothes are also important and babies should only sleep on their backs or sides until they are old enough to roll over on their own.
For the parents of cot death profound shock will probably be the first reaction followed by feelings of guilt. Older children who were jealous or resentful of the new family member may have feelings of guilt too. It is essential for all the family to " talk out " their feelings with an understanding outsider. Comfort and practical help can be sought from close family and friends, health visitor or clergyman.
Current Research
Babies exposed to tobacco smoke are at an increased risk of cot death, and generally suffer from poorer health.
Although mothers smoking is thought to be the most harmful,
fathers smoke also affects babies.
The sleeping envrioment has emerged as an important factor for SIDS.
Since 1993 FSIDS has made 32awards under this scheme, which enables researchers to undertake pilot studies to rapidly pursue new and innovative ideas in Cot Death.Investigations have included Brain pathology and hypoxia, neonatel metabolism, upper airway reflexes, examination of Stress hormones in babies, maternal depression, apoptosis(a format program of cell death) in the nerve cells of babies.
It has long been recognised that cot death does not have a single cause but rather that it is multifactorial & a number of things can go wrong.
THREE WAYS to REDUCE the RISK
1/ Put your baby on the back to sleep.
The risk of SIDS is increased if Babies sleep on their tummys. The best position for babies to sleep is on their backs. Research shows that healthy babies placed on their back to sleep are no more likely to regurgitate their feed & choke.
2 / Make sure your baby's head remains uncovered during sleep. If a baby's head becomes covered during sleep the risk of SIDS is increased.Tuck your baby in securely so that he-she can't slip under the bedcloths.
3/Keep your Baby SMOKEFREE before Birth and After, the risk of SIDS is doubled if both parents smoke.Babies exposed to tobacco smoke after birth are at increased risk of SIDS.
Links -
http://sidsalliance.org/SIDSFamilies/default.asp
www.sidsaustralia.org.au
www.sidsfamilies.com/
http://sids-network.org
www.sids.org.uk
http://www.sids.org/
http://www.asip1.org/
http://sids-network.org/risk.htm
http://sids-network.org/basic.htm
http://sids-network.org/experts.htm |
