Sudden Infant Death Syndrome: Should You Let Your Newborn Sleep?
Sudden Infant Death Syndrome is an unexplained death of an innocent newborn baby. It is more devastating than it sounds for the parents of the little soul. Here’s what you must know about sudden infant death syndrome:
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Also called cot death or crib death, SIDS happens to children who are less than one year of age. Diagnosis of SIDS requires that the death should remain unexplained even after a thorough autopsy.
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Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) usually occurs while the child is asleep. Most of the deaths occur between the hours of 00:00 and 09:00. There is not an exact cause for SIDS.
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Research has shown that SIDS might be related to defects in the portion of an infant’s brain that controls breathing and arousal from sleep.
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Sleeping of children on their stomach or side, overheating, and exposure to tobacco or smoke can also be the reasons for SIDS.
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Underweight babies, premature babies, and babies part of multiple births are also prone to SIDS, as it is likely that their brain hasn’t matured completely.
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Newborns with cold or suffering from respiratory problems might also be prone to sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).
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Some measures can be taken to protect newborns from SIDS. The most necessary being placing the newborn’s back of the body to sleep.
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A firm mattress should be used for your baby to sleep on (soft and fluffy bedding should be avoided). Also, avoid leaving any soft toys near the baby that can interfere with breathing if the baby’s face is pressed against it.
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Breastfeeding the baby for the initial six months could lower the risk of Sudden infant death syndrome. Routine immunization also reduces the risk of SIDS.
Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) remains the leading cause of infant mortality in western countries. But with proper knowledge and prevention, little innocent lives can be saved.
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