SIDS

Sudden Infant Death Syndrome

SIDS is the sudden death of an infant under one year of age which remains unexplained after a thorough case investigation, including performance of a complete autopsy, examination of the death scene, and review
of the clinical history. (Willinger et al, 1991)

In a typical situation parents check on their supposedly sleeping infant to find him or her dead. This is the worst tragedy parents can face, a tragedy which leaves them with a sadness and a feeling of vulnerability that lasts throughout their lives.

Since medicine can not tell them why their baby died, they blame themselves and often other innocent people.

Their lives and those around
them are changed forever.

There ARE things you can do do REDUCE the
risk of a SIDS related tragedy. Read and Learn.

It was thirteen years ago that the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) released its
first policy statement on reducing the risk of SIDS. The statement recommended that all healthy infants be placed on their backs to sleep in order to reduce the risks of SIDS.

Shortly thereafter, the NICHD joined with the AAP, the SIDS Alliance (now First Candle/ SIDS Alliance), the Association of SIDS and Infant Mortality Programs, and the Maternal and Child Health Bureau of HRSA to launch the Back to Sleep campaign to help inform all parents and infant care givers about the importance of back sleeping. Since then, the percentage of infants placed on their backs to sleep has increased dramatically, and the rates of SIDS have declined by more than 50 percent.

Spring for SIDS
National Fundraiser &
SIDS Awareness Day
Friday, April 23, 2010

The seven SIDS risk-lowering steps:

1. Give your baby a healthy womb environment.

2. Do not allow smoke around your baby – pre or postnatally.

3. Put your baby to sleep on his back or side, not on his stomach.

4. Breastfeed your baby.

5. Give your baby a safe sleeping environment.

6. Avoid overheating your baby during sleep.

7. Practice the "high-touch" style of attachment parenting.

How to Reduce the Risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) is also known as Crib Death & Cot Death

Put your baby on his/her Back To Sleep.
Baby should be dressed warm, not over-bundled.

Use only one blanket.
Do not use pillows, stuffed animals or other cloth items in the crib.
One study shows that the baby using a pacifier reduces the incidence of SIDS.
Mattress Wrapping!

Articles, Links & Resources:

Founded in 1983, the American SIDS Institute, a national nonprofit health care organization, is dedicated to the prevention of sudden infant death and the promotion of infant health through an aggressive, comprehensive nationwide program of:

Research about both the cause of sudden infant death and methods of prevention.
Clinical Services assisting pediatricians in the medical management of high risk infants.
Education about prevention methods aimed at the public and medical community.
Family Support providing crises phone counseling, grief literature and referrals.

.
.Helping Babies Survive & Thrive
First Candle is an organization dedicated to helping
expectant & new parents and support for those who
have lost a precious child.

National Institute of Child Health and Safety
BACK to SLEEP Campaign
Placing babies on their backs to sleep reduces the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), a.k.a. "crib death."
This campaign has been successful in promoting infant back sleeping to parents, family members, child care providers, health professionals, and all other caregivers of infants.

Toxic Gas Theory
Learn how wrapping your baby's crib mattress may reduce the possibility of SIDS.

BabeSafe Mattress Covers

SIDS is known in Britain as "Cot Death" and both Britain and New Zeland

Home Birth Midwifery Service

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