Facts About SIDS That Every Parent Should Be Aware Of

You may have heard of what SIDS is. Many unfortunate parents have been told that it was SIDS that caused the death of their baby. If you know nothing more about this condition than the fact that it is strongly linked with infant sleep, then you should try to improve your knowledge about it. After all, SIDS is the leading cause of death in infants from 1 month to one year. Knowing about SIDS might help ensure that you can help prevent your baby from having it.

What Is SIDS?

It stands for Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. It refers to swift and quick deaths of infants while sleeping. A parent could wake up in the morning and simply find the baby dead in his crib. This condition is a little mysterious because the causes are not completely known and SIDS could happen even to babies who are completely healthy. SIDS as a cause of death could only later be concluded by a medical expert.

What causes It?

As mentioned, there is no clear single identifiable cause for SIDS. At present, researchers are still really trying to figure out the reason for it. Studies however seem to point out that some beliefs about SIDS causes are simply not true. It is known for example that SIDS is not contagious and is not a hereditary condition. SIDS is not even caused by suffocation.

Several theories point the possible causes of SIDS. Many experts believe that SIDS may be caused by infections, respiratory blockages or some birth defects. There are also some who theorize that SIDS could possibly be caused by toxins and chemicals found in the baby's mattress, beddings and sheets. As for now, all these are theories that need further scientific backing.

What Are the Risk Factors of SIDS?

Although it is not yet possible to predict exactly which babies will have the condition, there are some risk factors that may increase the risk of SIDS. It is believed that mothers who have poor health during pregnancy increase the possibility that their infants could later die of SIDS. Unhealthy infants that are the result of poor maternal health or poor pre natal care could also therefore be candidates for SIDS. It is also believed that mothers who are smokers or drug users during pregnancy are also increase the risk of their infants. Of course, smoking in the presence of your infant after birth is also always unhealthy and might just be a risk factor too.

SIDS usually occurs between 2 to 4 months. Statistical studies also show that male infants have a higher incidence of SIDS phenomena compared to female babies.

Prevention

While it may be hard to prevent something which has no clear cause, it is always a good idea to take extra precaution against SIDS. For example, promoting certain baby sleeping patterns and habits is advisable. One of the first major recommendations is that babies should always be put on their backs when they are asleep. It is also recommended that cribs should be kept free of clutter, toys, extra pillows and even blankets during a baby's sleep time.

Article Source: http://www.myaddirectory.com

Read more practical advices on baby safety and safe baby furniture. Log on to the best baby resource online.

If You want to use this article on your website then select COPY THIS ARTICLE in the Menu on the right side!

Please Rate this Article

5 out of 54 out of 53 out of 52 out of 51 out of 5 

Not yet Rated