Sudden Infant Death Syndrome is death occurs when an infant is sleeping. This is the leading cause of deaths for infants between the age of 1 month and 1 year old. SIDS claims the lives of approximately 2,500 infants per year. There is still great questions as to the cause of SIDS and is steadily being researched. Researchers have however determined that infants should be placed on their backs to sleep rather on on their stomachs. There is no single factor that can be contributed to SIDS, but most risk factors include:
stomach sleeping, poor prenatal care, premature birth, and tobacco exposure. In order to reduce the SIDS, parents should: allow infants to sleep on a firm mattress, ensure immunizations are up to date, and put baby to bed with pacifier for up to 1 year of age. Unlike the United States, China has a low percentage of deaths caused by Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. Approximately 5 % of deaths of infants are the cause of SIDS. This shows that there is a big gap in the way in which different societies and cultures use and pertain information.
Having just become a new aunt, this is very meaningful to me and I will be able to pass on vital and necessary information to new parents and mothers who are expecting. The information can be life saving and be the difference between life and death!
SIDS was one of the scariest things about becoming a parent. This also goes along with why co-sleeping is so dangerous. When my son was born we put him in what's called a "Rock and Play" by Fisher Price. I loved it and would do it with all my children. It keeps them at an angle and so they can't roll over. SIDS is one reason why people need to be educated about having children!
ReplyDeleteSIDS is so terrifying I agree. There are so few definite answers for this concept as well. I could not imagine being a parent and having a child that died from SIDS. My boyfriends mother had a son who died of SIDS and I could not imagine the amount of heart ache that must have inflicted on the family. Not only have they lost a child but there is no real closure on the situation. Great information.
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