SIDS: Sudden Infant Death Syndrome

By: vitalethics

Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, also known as SIDS is the sudden, unexplainable death of a child who was in a healthy condition. SIDS occurs mostly in infants between the ages of one month and one year. It claims the lives of one in every two thousand babies per year. There has been a decline since previous years due to research on the topic, which has lead to prevention breakthroughs. Although they have suggested ways, there is no sure fire approach to preventing SIDS from occuring. Some studies have shown that an abnomality in the brain stem which controls respitory functions was responsible for the death, but this theory has yet to be set in stone.

Some other causes of SIDS have been linked to bacterial and respitory infections in the infants. Of course like many other infant diseases, use of drugs, alchohol, or tobacco have also been said to be causes of SIDS. Bcause of sudden infant death syndrome, all parents are told to place the baby on his back until the baby is at the age where he or she can roll over front to back and back to front on their own. Another method of prevention is placing a baby in his or her own crib. As with most other infant diseases, low birth weight plays a key factor because the child is a little behind in development. Co-sleeping is another big no when it comes to SIDS. Babies are said to forget to breath when sleeping with their parents because of the comfort they feel. This is also not safe due to the risk of person of adult size potentially unknowingly harming the infant in their sleep. Breastfeeding is also said to reduce the risk of SIDS.

Although the next SIDS reducer is debateable, the American Academy of Pediatrics suggests that pacifers do reduce the risk. However some parents do not believe in the use of pacifiers due to future dental problems, and the difficulty of breaking the infant of the habit. SIDS is a rather unexplainable syndrome. As you can see many things are linked to it, as well as the many things that prevent it. SIDS is something that stays in the back of every parents mind during the first year of life and most parents find themselves doing anything and everything to prevent it. Although there is no cure since the outcome is death, there is a lot to be done to prevent it from happening.

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Michael Morales is an EMT-Paramedic and program director for Vital Ethics, providing basic and advanced life support training and certification programs to health care professionals. www.vitalethics.org/ www.vitalethics.org/learninglinks.html www.vitalethics.org/firstaid.html

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