SIDS
It’s the most frightening, bewildering and heartbreaking
thing that can happen with a newborn. Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). It’s
defined as when as when a baby dies in the first year of life from no apparent
cause. The causes still aren’t fully known, but in SIDS deaths, the baby’s
recovery mechanisms if deprived of oxygen aren’t developed and he’s not able to
rouse himself if his breathing becomes obstructed, such as when he’s sleeping
face down.
There’s no way to predict whether a baby is at risk for
SIDS, although the occurrence of SIDS deaths has decreased in the last 10 years.
Creating a safe sleep environment for the baby is one way to help prevent SIDS.
For the first year of life, babies should be put to sleep
on their backs. If put to sleep on their sides, they should be positioned with
one arm forward to keep them from rolling over on their stomachs. Soft foam
wedges can be purchased for just this purpose.
Avoid loose, fluffy bedding and make sure your baby’s face
isn’t obstructed. Be careful not to overheat your baby by over-wrapping him or
dressing him in too many layers.
Don’t smoke and don’t allow anyone else to smoke around the
baby. Make sure he has a firm mattress in a safety-approved crib.
There are monitoring systems that can alert you if the baby
stops breathing. There are some indications when you might want to consider
this:
--If the baby has had any life-threatening episodes, such
as turning blue, or an episode requiring mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.
--If the baby had older siblings who died of SIDS.
--If the baby was premature
Make sure to keep all well-baby appointments to make sure
his lungs are fully developed and to maintain all immunizations.
