How to Prevent SIDS
SUDDEN INFANT DEATH SYNDROME (SIDS)
As a new or veteran parent, the worry of potential dangers that can affect newborns never seems to cease. Statistically, around 2500 infants per year pass away unexpectedly from an unknown agent or event. Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, more commonly known as SIDS, is the abrupt and unexplained death of a seemingly healthy infant that is usually less than one year of age, that is not due to physical abuse or an acquired illness (Santrock, 2008, p. 123). SIDS can affect any infant at any time and has underlying abilities to destroy families that have just started. The key to upending SIDS on a more permanent basis is prevention of the main risk factors that generally lead to this horrifying outcome, rather than the unpreventable syndrome itself.
Unfortunately, SIDS is the leading cause of death in infants after one month and most common in newborns of two to four months old. This can usually be related to the poor immune systems that infants have due to their short period of time to strengthen it. SIDS often occurs during sleep with zero signs of symptoms or suffering. Due to the unpredictable aspect of this syndrome, diagnosis is done through exclusion and doctors and researchers rely heavily on the risk factors that are associated. To explain further, a risk factor is something that could potentially influence a disease or syndrome to occur when alone or paired with other risk factors, but is not the direct cause of the illness. SIDS has accumulated various different risk factors such as, sleeping in the prone position (sleeping on the stomach), a low birth weight, troubles sleeping or sleep apnea, parents with low socioeconomic statuses, siblings that have died from the same illness, second-hand smoke and multiple others that will be explained in greater detail throughout this article. By avoiding these factors, the newborn is much more likely to never obtain SIDS.
In a recent study conducted in Berlin, Germany, researchers have concluded that there are multiple maternal and perinatal risk factors that also influence the occurrence rate of SIDS. After obtaining state pregnancy outcome information and analyzing 118 different SIDS cases, it can be seen that whether or not the mother is in a relationship or not, the status of the birth (first or second born), and if the mother previously or currently lives in a financially unstable community all impact the rate of obtaining SIDS in newborns. According to this research, “SIDS was found to be significantly more common in cases when the infant’s mother was not in a relationship…if the infant was not the first born and when the mother resided in a socioeconomically disadvantaged area” (Highet, 2012, p. 370). It is also extremely crucial to mention that SIDS is not caused or associated by any nursery care, vomiting or choking, minor illness such as the common cold, child abuse, or any preventative vaccinations or immunizations. To accurately avoid the possibility of SIDS, parents should consider providing a financially stable household and environment, including a non-strained parent relationship, for their infant and any future children.
In addition to providing children with the best possible living and social environments as possible, parents should continually avoid all types of smoking. Another recent study explains that any postnatal smoking done by the mother or father can directly impact the newborn and potentially lead to SIDS. After compiling all data from 142 different SIDS cases, “…postnatal parental smoking was found to be a major risk factor…” (Liebrechts-Akkerman, 2011, p. 1283). In continuation with preventative measures previously mentioned, parents should also consider natural breastfeeding, using pacifiers during sleep periods, obtaining fans for constant air circulation and clearing the infant’s crib of everything except for the peacefully sleeping child.
Alcohol has also been considered to be a factor among many to cause SIDS in newborn children. Research shows that, “the SIDS death rate for children of alcohol-consuming mothers is 2.64 (2.39-2.89) times the SIDS death rate for children of non-alcohol-consuming mothers” (Phillips, 2010, 521). Diverting any alcohol consumption until after the child has been born will almost eliminate any chances of falling victim to SIDS, when coupled with other prevention methods.
As previously mentioned, sleeping in the prone position is one of the most common and probable risk factors associated with SIDS. Most researchers, including Santrock, believe that placing the infant on their back as opposed to on their stomach or in the prone position will drastically decrease the risk of dying in their sleep. Generally, most parents assume their child will choke on spit up if placed on their back, but despite their instinctual thinking, this does not occur. Parents also worry about their baby getting a “flat head” due to increased amounts of time on their back. This can completely be avoided through “tummy time” exercises, where the child is placed on their arms and stomach for short periods of time throughout the day to strengthen their muscles. This supervised play time will avoid any physical barriers presented with back sleeping and ultimately elude SIDS completely.
Although there is no one exact preventative measure or treatment of acquired SIDS, parents have the opportunity to use newfound knowledge from articles such as this, to place their child in the safest attainable environment with as little risk factors as possible. For more information about Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, please contact your local health care provider. Educating yourself about the risks will save your newborn from a terrifying fate.
Works Cited
Highet, A. R. and Goldwater, P. N. (Dec. 2012). Maternal and perinatal risk factors for SIDS: a novel analysis utilizing pregnancy outcome data. European Journal of Pediatrics, 172 (3), pp. 369-372. Retrieved from http://ezproxy.adrian.edu:3071/ehost/detail?vid=3&sid=11ba6f48-3359-41ae-87d3909656194950%40sessionmgr113&hid=118&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=mdc&AN=23207737
Liebrechts-Akkerman, G., Lao, O., Liu, F., Sleuwen, B. E., Engelberts, A. C., L’Hoir, M. P., Tiemeier, H. W., Kayser, M. (March 2011). Postnatal parent smoking: an important risk factor for SIDS. European Journal of Pediatrics, 170 (10), pp. 1281-1291. Retrieved from http://ezproxy.adrian.edu:3072/ehost/detail?vid=3sid=fd5cbba7-aa2f-4a9e-a83f-f37b6a20f9ba%40sessionmgr4005&hid=4101&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d
Phillips, D. P., Brewer, K. M., Wadensweiler, P. (Nov. 2010). Alcohol as a risk factor for sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). Addiction (Abingdon, England), 106 (3), pp. 516-525. Retrieved from http://ezproxy.adrian.edu:3071/ehost/detail?vid=3&sid=11ba6f48-3359-41ae-87d3-909656194950%40sessionmgr113&hid=118bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=mdc&AN=21059188
Santrock, J. W. (2010). A Topical Approach to Life-span Development (5th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.
As a new or veteran parent, the worry of potential dangers that can affect newborns never seems to cease. Statistically, around 2500 infants per year pass away unexpectedly from an unknown agent or event. Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, more commonly known as SIDS, is the abrupt and unexplained death of a seemingly healthy infant that is usually less than one year of age, that is not due to physical abuse or an acquired illness (Santrock, 2008, p. 123). SIDS can affect any infant at any time and has underlying abilities to destroy families that have just started. The key to upending SIDS on a more permanent basis is prevention of the main risk factors that generally lead to this horrifying outcome, rather than the unpreventable syndrome itself.
Unfortunately, SIDS is the leading cause of death in infants after one month and most common in newborns of two to four months old. This can usually be related to the poor immune systems that infants have due to their short period of time to strengthen it. SIDS often occurs during sleep with zero signs of symptoms or suffering. Due to the unpredictable aspect of this syndrome, diagnosis is done through exclusion and doctors and researchers rely heavily on the risk factors that are associated. To explain further, a risk factor is something that could potentially influence a disease or syndrome to occur when alone or paired with other risk factors, but is not the direct cause of the illness. SIDS has accumulated various different risk factors such as, sleeping in the prone position (sleeping on the stomach), a low birth weight, troubles sleeping or sleep apnea, parents with low socioeconomic statuses, siblings that have died from the same illness, second-hand smoke and multiple others that will be explained in greater detail throughout this article. By avoiding these factors, the newborn is much more likely to never obtain SIDS.
In a recent study conducted in Berlin, Germany, researchers have concluded that there are multiple maternal and perinatal risk factors that also influence the occurrence rate of SIDS. After obtaining state pregnancy outcome information and analyzing 118 different SIDS cases, it can be seen that whether or not the mother is in a relationship or not, the status of the birth (first or second born), and if the mother previously or currently lives in a financially unstable community all impact the rate of obtaining SIDS in newborns. According to this research, “SIDS was found to be significantly more common in cases when the infant’s mother was not in a relationship…if the infant was not the first born and when the mother resided in a socioeconomically disadvantaged area” (Highet, 2012, p. 370). It is also extremely crucial to mention that SIDS is not caused or associated by any nursery care, vomiting or choking, minor illness such as the common cold, child abuse, or any preventative vaccinations or immunizations. To accurately avoid the possibility of SIDS, parents should consider providing a financially stable household and environment, including a non-strained parent relationship, for their infant and any future children.
In addition to providing children with the best possible living and social environments as possible, parents should continually avoid all types of smoking. Another recent study explains that any postnatal smoking done by the mother or father can directly impact the newborn and potentially lead to SIDS. After compiling all data from 142 different SIDS cases, “…postnatal parental smoking was found to be a major risk factor…” (Liebrechts-Akkerman, 2011, p. 1283). In continuation with preventative measures previously mentioned, parents should also consider natural breastfeeding, using pacifiers during sleep periods, obtaining fans for constant air circulation and clearing the infant’s crib of everything except for the peacefully sleeping child.
Alcohol has also been considered to be a factor among many to cause SIDS in newborn children. Research shows that, “the SIDS death rate for children of alcohol-consuming mothers is 2.64 (2.39-2.89) times the SIDS death rate for children of non-alcohol-consuming mothers” (Phillips, 2010, 521). Diverting any alcohol consumption until after the child has been born will almost eliminate any chances of falling victim to SIDS, when coupled with other prevention methods.
As previously mentioned, sleeping in the prone position is one of the most common and probable risk factors associated with SIDS. Most researchers, including Santrock, believe that placing the infant on their back as opposed to on their stomach or in the prone position will drastically decrease the risk of dying in their sleep. Generally, most parents assume their child will choke on spit up if placed on their back, but despite their instinctual thinking, this does not occur. Parents also worry about their baby getting a “flat head” due to increased amounts of time on their back. This can completely be avoided through “tummy time” exercises, where the child is placed on their arms and stomach for short periods of time throughout the day to strengthen their muscles. This supervised play time will avoid any physical barriers presented with back sleeping and ultimately elude SIDS completely.
Although there is no one exact preventative measure or treatment of acquired SIDS, parents have the opportunity to use newfound knowledge from articles such as this, to place their child in the safest attainable environment with as little risk factors as possible. For more information about Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, please contact your local health care provider. Educating yourself about the risks will save your newborn from a terrifying fate.
Works Cited
Highet, A. R. and Goldwater, P. N. (Dec. 2012). Maternal and perinatal risk factors for SIDS: a novel analysis utilizing pregnancy outcome data. European Journal of Pediatrics, 172 (3), pp. 369-372. Retrieved from http://ezproxy.adrian.edu:3071/ehost/detail?vid=3&sid=11ba6f48-3359-41ae-87d3909656194950%40sessionmgr113&hid=118&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=mdc&AN=23207737
Liebrechts-Akkerman, G., Lao, O., Liu, F., Sleuwen, B. E., Engelberts, A. C., L’Hoir, M. P., Tiemeier, H. W., Kayser, M. (March 2011). Postnatal parent smoking: an important risk factor for SIDS. European Journal of Pediatrics, 170 (10), pp. 1281-1291. Retrieved from http://ezproxy.adrian.edu:3072/ehost/detail?vid=3sid=fd5cbba7-aa2f-4a9e-a83f-f37b6a20f9ba%40sessionmgr4005&hid=4101&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d
Phillips, D. P., Brewer, K. M., Wadensweiler, P. (Nov. 2010). Alcohol as a risk factor for sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). Addiction (Abingdon, England), 106 (3), pp. 516-525. Retrieved from http://ezproxy.adrian.edu:3071/ehost/detail?vid=3&sid=11ba6f48-3359-41ae-87d3-909656194950%40sessionmgr113&hid=118bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=mdc&AN=21059188
Santrock, J. W. (2010). A Topical Approach to Life-span Development (5th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.