The idea of losing a baby to SIDS freaks me out. My cousin died from SIDS when I was a year old. Her name was Brandy. What causes SIDS? Is there anyway to prevent it?
SIDS seems to effect more male babies than females, idk why though. The biggest thing you can do to prevent it is don't put your baby to sleep on his stomach. In the 1970s, doctors recommended to parents to put their babies to sleep on their backs and it reduced the rate of SIDS by 30%. Also, don't give a child under the age of 2 honey, since it can contain endospores of bacteria that can be dangerous to an immature immune system.
No one knows what causes SIDS. There are a lot of theories. There are things parents can do to reduce the incidence of SIDS, but even some babies subcum anyway. Breastfeed. Breastfed babies, particularly totally breastfed babies have a MUCH lower incidence of SIDS. Keep the baby on her back when sleeping. Stomach sleeping probably effects nerves and the airway, making SIDS more common. However, babeis with severe Reflux often need to sleep on their tummies Co-sleep. Babies who sleep alone in their cribs die of SIDS more often. Babies who sleep with mama regulate their breathing better, and have better oxygenation while asleep. This and breastfeeding are actually MORE significant than in what position the baby sleeps in. Keep baby out of daycare. Babies in daycare get more respiratory infections, which are often a precursor to SIDS. William Sears wrote a ground breaking book about SIDS. I forget the title, it is titles SIDS, with a subtitle. You can find it on any book website or the La Leche League site. www.lalecheleague.org http://www.askdrsears.com/html/10/t102200.asp Despite misitepretation of the data, cosleeping actually prevents SIDS deaths. Here is some info why. I am sorry for your sister's and her dh's loss. Even if everything is done well, some babies die from SIDS, it is just devastating.
I'm not getting at you, but there have been more cases of babies who have died from being suffocated or squashed through co-sleeping than there have been from SIDs.
NO! You need to look at the numbers. Here 4200 babies dead a year, alone in cribs. 65 babies dead a year in adult beds, and other non crib situations, most of which were NOT beds, but couches, chairs ect. No contest, co sleeping is much safer.
SIDS used to be called "crib death" until the manufacturers of infant furniture lobbied long and hard to change the name. I agree with Maggie, breastfeeding and co-sleeping are more significant in reducing SIDS than the position of the baby. Also, delaying vaccinations seems to help prevent SIDS as well. The highest incidences of SIDS occur right after vaccines (from 12 hours to 3 weeks), at 2 months and 4 months. http://thinktwice.com/sids.htm http://www.shirleys-wellness-cafe.com/vaccine_sids.htm http://www.pnc.com.au/~cafmr/coulter/sids.html
Actually the only babies who have died from suffocation or being squashed were babies whose mothers were intoxicated or drugged up. A normal healthy mother knows her baby is in bed with her and knows whenever the baby moves. Kathi
More often than not I slept on my side as a baby. Best of both world perhaps, having done first aid I know the best position for breathing (open airway) is on the side. Here in the UK it's still refered to as cot death. Always suspected there was a reason behind it. Also if Mama is close by she can respond far quicker if baby has any trouble, breathing or otherwise.
I always slept with Virginia lying on my chest. I had a c-section...therefore impossible to get up and down 400 times a night. Sometimes Tim would take her, so I could get so REAL sleep, and I would wake up in a frantic because I knew that she wasn't with me. Doesn't smoking increase the risk, as well?
Yes, any particulate matter in the air as well as the irritants in Tobacco and other smokes increase the risk. When Sage was a baby, she was early, and the doc told us to not use wood in the fireplace. We started using those storebought "logs" as there is less shit in the air from them.
I thought a good idea (at least for small babies) was to keep them on their stomach so if they spit up in their sleep it wouldn't choke them..
In the 60's we were told to put our children to sleep on their tummies so that if they spit up it would roll away from their mouth and they wouldn't choke. Now, those same doctors are saying to put them to sleep on their backs so if they spit up they won't lay in it and drown. Yeah, right, they both make sense to me. Kathi
Going totally off the record, because I have to advise my clients to put their babies on their backs, but I NEVER put them to sleep on their backs, only on their bellies, or their sides. If I put them on their backs they'd wake up in less than 5 minutes. Plus, when they were laying on their bellies, they could fart easier. Less belly aches, IMO.
my baby cousin died from that but i feel like it is my faULT BECASE I TOLD HER NOT TO BUT SHE DID(sorry about the caps)
I don't know if this is true, but someone told me that since I have asthma my kids have a higher chance of dying of SIDS. Now can you all see why I'm freaked out?
Once my girls could roll over, they would immediately roll over onto their tummies to sleep. Also, don't put a new baby in a crib with lots of blankets, toys, pillows, etc. Just use a blanket sleeper and they should be plenty warm. Virginia is almost, and she still doesn't use a pillow. Even when she sleeps in our bed, she usually scootches down so her head is lying flat on the bed. Vinceneilsgirl, how old is your baby?
I don't have kids yet...I'm talking about the future. Also, just to be clear...it's my cousin who died of SIDS, not my sister. My sister (my brother's twin) died young, but it was from Tay Sach's, not SIDS.
