 |
- SIDS is the number one cause of death of infants
under one year of age and strikes more than 2,500 families in the United
States each year.
- More babies die of SIDS in a year than all babies
who die of cancer, heart disease, pneumonia, child abuse, AIDS, cystic
fibrosis, and muscular dystrophy combined.
- SIDS is a diagnosis which is made only after a death
and when all other possible causes of death have been ruled out by a
complete investigation and autopsy.
- There is no test that predicts which babies will
die of SIDS
- SIDS affects families of all races, religions, and
income levels.
- SIDS occurs during sleep, and strikes without warning.
- SIDS victims appear to be healthy.
- We do yet not know exactly
how or why SIDS happens, though it appears that SIDS may be caused by
some subtle developmental delay, an anatomical defect or functional
failure.
- Researchers at Harvard and
Dartmouth have, in fact, isolated a neurochemical defect in a portion
of the brain of SIDS victims that controls the infant's protective responses
to changes in oxygen and carbon dioxide levels.
- SIDS, like other medical
disorders, may eventually have more than one explanation and more than
one means of prevention. This may explain why the characteristics of
SIDS babies seem so varied.
|
|
Following these guidelines may help reduce the risk of SIDS:
- Place your baby on the back to sleep at night and naptime
- Use a firm mattress in a safety-approved crib
- Eliminate fluffy, loose bedding from your baby's sleep area
- Keep your baby's face clear of coverings
- Be careful not to overheat your baby
- Breastfeed if possible
- Don't allow anyone to smoke around your baby
- Consider offering your baby a pacifier at naptime and bed time for the first year (but not for the first month for breastfed babies)
- Do not allow your baby to sleep in an adult bed
|
