SIDs, sudden infant death syndrome, is one of those things that can paralyze the parent of an infant with fear. The term is used to describe a baby's death when no solid explanation can be found. So basically, you put your baby down to sleep, your baby does not wake up and dies; if a precise cause can't be found, then it is labeled SIDs.
Even though the exacts causes of SIDs have not been pinpointed there are contributing factors and a new study in Pediatrics, shows how risk factors for SIDs vary with age. This is important stuff, that parents and caregivers of babies should be aware of.
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Okay, so for the littlest of the littles from 0-3-months, of the 8207 deaths that were analyzed, children who died from SIDs in this group were most likely bed-sharing. In other words, they were sleeping with an adult or on an adult.
For babies 4 to 12-months-olds, they were more likely to have "had an object in the sleep environment (39.4% vs 33.5%, P < .001) and changed position from side/back to prone." So they were either sleeping with pillows, blankets, stuffed animals or something and they also went from sleeping on their back or side to sleeping on their tummy.
Scary, scary stuff.
So what can you do to minimize the risks of SIDs as your child goes from infant to older baby?
1. Be aware of the risks of co-sleeping. If you are going to co-sleep with an infant (I did with both of mine), be aware of the risks. Get rid of loose bedding, you don't want your baby getting tangled up in a sheet or covered with a blanket. You can also get a co-sleeping bassinet that you put right by the bed.
2. Always, always put your baby down to sleep on their back. Infants who sleep on their tummies tend to sleep more deeply, which makes it less likely that they will wake up if they stop breathing for any reason.
3. Keep cribs clear of hazards. No pillows, no blankets, no stuffed animals, none of those cute quilted crib-liners.
4. Help your baby build their muscles. Make sure you give your baby plenty of tummy time when awake so they can develop their muscles. That way when they are older and can roll over on their own, they can use their arms to push their head from side to side.
5. Keep baby's arms free. If you swaddle your child, make sure you leave their arms free, so they can use them to help them move their little heads.
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