Tag Archives: Sudden Infant Death Syndrome

SIDS… Sudden Infant Death Syndrome

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NOTEWORTHY WEDNESDAY!

Every now and then I write about SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome).

It is frightening for parents to even think about this happening but there are American Academy of Pediatrics‘ recommendations to follow to lessen the risk of SIDS .

SIDS is considered by some professionals to be a disease. Here is what  Norman Lewak, Clinical Professor of Pediatrics at UCSF …  had to say:

SIDS is a real disease. The “Triple Risk Model for SIDS is described in the Technical Report that accompanies the Policy Statement on-line edition only. Thanks to the work of Hannah Kinney of Boston Childrens, we know that SIDS infants have lesions in the respiratory center of the brainstem. This is the first risk pre-exiting respiratory center lesion. The second risk is the vulnerable developmental age, peaking at 2-4 months, in which CNS respiratory control changes. The third risk is an “environmental trigger“–an environmental event that blocks continued respiratory activity.This trigger appears to many of us to be deep sleep brought on by increased comfort from increased warmth. Prone sleep has been proven to increase warmth. The pacifier effect is most likely caused by an increase in activity, thus a lighter sleep.http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/early/2011/10/12/peds.2011-2284/reply#content-block

Some AAP recommendations to prevent SIDS are:

  • supine sleeping position
  • a firm sleep surface
  • breastfeeding
  • room sharing without bed sharing
  • consider using a pacifier which leads to a lighter sleep
  • avoid soft bedding
  • avoid overheating of the room where baby sleeps
  • avoid exposure tobacco smoke, alcohol and illicit drugs

According to recent information, SIDS  a disease which can be triggered by other environmental factors such as sleeping on soft surfaces, or stomach sleeping. These situations can set off a reaction whereby an infant ceases breathing due to an abnormal increase in his/her CO2 level. SIDS is not “suffocation”.

Every parent-to-be should be given information about SIDS prior to delivery and any questions should be answered by nurses or pediatricians early in the newborn period.

It is easier to follow sleeping guidelines when they are explained and make sense as to why they are important and how they can make a difference in the prevention of SIDS. Of course unfortunately, there are never any guarantees but parents can do their best with the knowledge that they have to prevent a tragedy.

There is so much to being a parent … children are precious… we are their protectors…just as we use car seats to protect them in the car we should protect them when we put them to sleep.

SIDS is down, but back-sleeping is just part of the message – USATODAY.com.

Replies to SIDS and Other Sleep-Related Infant Deaths: Expansion of Recommendations for a Safe Infant Sleeping Environment.

SIDS and Other Sleep-Related Infant Deaths: Expansion of Recommendations for a Safe Infant Sleeping Environment.

http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/128/5/e1341.full

Related posts:

Safe Sleep for Your Baby

SIDS…Sudden Infant Death Syndrome

Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)

Sudden Infant Death…Most Common on New Year’s 

Safe Sleep for Your Baby

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NOTEWORTHY WEDNESDAY1

This week I have seen this PSA (Public Service Announcement) and three media discussions associated with it. The consensus of what I have read  and heard is that this PSA is inappropriate and uses “shock” value to relate an important message to parents concerning “co-sleeping“.

Do we really need this type of photo to make a statement against co-sleeping?

What do you think?

Well, I visited Milwaukee‘s website and found some helpful “safe sleep” resources and information related to infant deaths in Milwaukee.

It is my opinion that Milwaukee is trying desperately to reduce infant mortality but are they trying too hard? Will they lose the attention of the very group that they are aiming to help educate with this poster.

The City has had a Safe Sleep Sabbath this past October 11th, where churches participated in a safe sleep for baby program to educate parents about the danger of not putting baby to sleep in an appropriate environment but more importantly it provided information about what was appropriate and safe for infants.

Safe Sleep Sabbath – Sunday, October 9, 2011 Act now to overcome one major problem that is killing our babies: infant sleep death. Infant mortality: The number of infants who die before their first birthday.

Okay …great…now what what else could be done to decrease infant mortality due to poor and unsafe sleeping conditions?

Since we know that in Milwaukee, SES  (socio-economic status) is also related to infant mortality it might be helpful to have culturally sensitive educational materials and discussions about safe sleep for infants.

It would also be advantageous if this discussion did not confuse co-sleeping with unsafe sleep environments for babies.

Let’s keep the discussion going but in a more positive format.

Social workers are doing what they can in Milwaukee as evidenced in this piece from the Sentinel.

Lets here it for  education…education…education…rather than scare tactics and scapegoating “co-sleeping”.

This is a very multifaceted problem that needs to be combatted with a multifaceted action plan.

 

In Milwaukee around 20% of infant mortality is attributable to a combination of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS),  and Sudden Unexplained Death in infancy (SUDI).  Of these deaths the majority die in an unsafe sleep environment.

The City of Milwaukee Health Department strongly advises parents NOT to share a bed with their infant. This is based on an American Academy of Pediatrics 2011 Policy Statement which states that the risk of SIDS has been shown to be reduced when the infant sleeps in the same room as the mother, but the AAP recommends that infants not share a bed with parents or anyone else, due to increased risk.

Co-Sleeping Defined

The term “co-sleeping” can be confusing, as it is used both to refer to sharing a bed and sharing a room. To clarify the distinction, many pediatric experts now refer to “bed-sharing” (referring to a infant who is sleeping in the same bed, couch, or other surface where parents or others are sleeping), and “room-sharing” (referring to a infant who is sleeping in the parents’ room, but in their own crib or bassinet).

Safe Sleep Guidelines

Parents should:

  • Put baby to sleep on their back. Babies who sleep on their backs are safer.
  • Provide a separate but nearby sleeping environment, meaning: babies should share a room with their parents, but not a bed. The risk of SIDS is reduced when the infant sleeps in the same room as the mother.
  • Never put a baby to sleep on a couch or a chair. A crib, bassinette or cradle that conforms to the safety standards is recommended.
  • Make sure that the only item in the crib is a mattress, covered by a tight-fitting sheet. No bumper pads, blankets or toys.
  • Never lay a baby down on or next to a pillow.  Pillows are extremely dangerous for infants as they can cause suffocation.
  • Do not ever use infant sleep positioners.  The FDA says there have been 12 known deaths associated with these products. 
  • Dress the baby in a one-piece sleeper to keep them warm in winter.
  • Keep the room at a temperature that is comfortable for the whole family. But the house should not be too warm.
  • Never smoke in a house where an infant or child lives.

The American Academy of Pediatrics Task Force has found that rates of bed-sharing are increasing, especially as we encourage breastfeeding. But the conclusion of the task force is that bed-sharing, as practiced in the US and other Western countries is more hazardous than the infant sleeping on a separate sleep surface. It is recommended that infants not share a bed with adults.  Infants may be brought into bed for nursing or comforting, but should be returned to their own safe space to sleep when the parent is ready to return to sleep.

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World Breastfeeding Week…

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This is “World Breastfeeding Week”…we know that breastfeeding is “Best for Babes” but not every mother feels that she can adequately breast feed and not every woman wants to breast feed. This being said there are many ways we can encourage women to breast feed and do so successfully.

The following article talks about ways that hospitals can encourage a new mother to breast feed. Many good points are made here…but ultimately the mom will be taking her newborn home after a very short stay in the hospital and the home atmosphere and home support will be the true test of success.

What we need is a “doula” of breastfeeding…a compassionate, educated, non-judgemental mom who is willing to help mother and baby get established in their breastfeeding routine together. This is not an easy task. There is no room for a fanatical breast feeding “doula” who imparts her successful breastfeeding stories and inadvertently guilt to the new breastfeeding mom. This relationship in my opinion can make or break a breastfeeding experience.

Hospitals can only do so much and since hospital experiences are so short  for the new mom in many cases, it is my belief  that for many reasons  hospitals will never provide the support that is needed  for success in breastfeeding.

A new mother’s ability to continue  breastfeeding is influenced by what she  experiences and how much support she receives during the first hours and days after birth. Breast milk is “the perfect nutrition,” says Frieden. It provides antibodies to help newborns ward off illness until the immune system can produce their own, which doesn’t happen until the infant is 6 months old.  Mom’s milk also provides important hormones that help baby regulate how much it needs to eat. Plus, studies have shown that breastfeeding reduces diarrhea, ear infections and bacterial meningitis, as well as cutting the risk of sudden infant death syndrome, diabetes and asthma, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics.

The CDC report says breastfeeding for nine months reduces a baby’s odds of becoming overweight by more than 30%. For babies to get all of these benefits, the AAP recommends that infants should be fed only breast milk for the first six months of life and moms should continue to nurse while they start introducing solid foods until the baby is at least a year old, longer if mom and baby still want to.

In response to this report, the American Hospital Association tells CNN: “Breastfeeding is a personal choice and hospitals will follow the wishes of the mother, be it to breastfeed or bottle feed. There are numerous reaso

ns for the results and those include that hospitals can’t always accommodate a single room for maternity care and some mothers choose to send their babies to the nursery.”

There are of course other ways to help mothers continue to breastfeed. One came earlier this week, when the Department of Health and Human Services adopted recommendations from the Institute of Medicine, which will require insurance companies to pay for breastfeeding support, supplies and counseling, without any cost to the insured (aside from her regular insurance premiums of course), starting in August 2012.

via Hospitals need to do more to help moms breastfeed – The Chart – CNN.com Blogs.

“Best for Babes” is a wonderful organization which is totally on the right track in trying to assist the breastfeeding mom and baby. We need more involvement like this in order to promote successful breastfeeding. Here is the mission of “Best for Babes” for those of you who are not familiar with this organization.

The amazing health, economic and environmental benefits of exclusive breastfeeding for six months or more are well-established.  Moms know this — they want to breastfeed. But sadly, very few of those who start or plan to start make it past the first few days — they struggle and suffer unnecessarily and give up, understandably, long before they intended to.  Too often, it’s not their fault!  They are being set up to fail by the very people and places that are supposed to help them — by the Booby Traps– the many cultural and institutional barriers that prevent them from achieving their personal feeding goals.

BFB’s mission is to help turn this situation around by bringing the power and influence of a consumer-driven, celebrity and corporate-backed, mainstream independent nonprofit –the Mother of All Causes –to bear on this issue;  to help create permanent  culture change that embraces, celebrates and supports breastfeeding and moms!  As a nonprofit foundation, we serve and complement the heroic, long-term efforts of the existing breastfeeding community and we lend added value by being able to harness and leverage the collective power of celebrities, corporations, foundations, the public sector, advertising, the medical community and the media.

Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)

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NOTEWORTHY WEDNESDAY!

Baby’s sleeping environment and the importance of it cannot in my opinion be overemphasized!

Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) is a frightening thought to anyone especially to the parents of infants.

A study in the Archives of Pediatric Adolescent Medicine has reported the use of a ceiling fan in a baby’s room was associated with a reduced risk of SIDS.

  • Fan use during sleep was associated with a 72% reduction in SIDS
  • fan use in warmer room temperatures was associated with a greater reduction in SIDS risk compared with cooler room temperatures
  • the reduction associated with fan use was greater in infants placed in the prone or side sleep position vs supine
  • Fan use was associated with a greater reduction in SIDS risk in infants who shared a bed with an individual other than their parents vs with a parent
  • Finally, fan use was associated with reduced SIDS risk in infants not using pacifiers but not in pacifier users

Fan use may be an effective intervention for further decreasing SIDS risk in infants in adverse sleep environments.

This research was out of Kaiser Permanente based in Oakland, CA and is an important finding as the cause of SIDS remains unknown. It still is the leading cause of death in infants from one month to one year. The actual number of cases may be under-reported as these deaths are sometimes attributed to other causes.

Other preventative measures are to have:

  • a firm crib mattress
  • no cloth crib bumpers,
  • no soft toys or pillows in the crib.

References:

Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med — Abstract: Use of a Fan During Sleep and the Risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, October 2008, Coleman-Phox et al. 162 (10): 963

http://www.injuryboard.com/printfriendly.aspx?id=248968