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SIDS stands for Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. It is an unexpected unexplained sudden death of a seemingly healthy infant.
It’s also known as cot death or crib death because of the high risk of death while the baby is asleep.
Here are 5 Frequently Asked Questions by parents about SIDS
1. What is the exact cause of SIDS?
The exact cause of SIDS is unknown it can strike any infant, but it’s thought to be down to a combination of factors. SIDS could be due to the infant’s inability to breathe. When infants sleep on their stomachs they are most likely to inhale the same air that they exhale ( high in carbon dioxide). Resulting in a high level of carbon dioxide in the blood, So it’s not a stated rule but one can say that the main cause of SIDS is sleeping on their tummy, in a face-down position.
2. What are the 5 Major Risk Factors of SIDS?
You can not predict whether your family will fall prey to SIDS or not but there are a few things that make it happen more likely. Here is the list of 5 Major Risk Factors of SIDS.
1. Infants Age:
Younger babies have more risk of SIDS than older babies.
2. Premature babies:
Premature babies are more prone to SIDS than normal babies.
3. Baby’s Gender:
Boys have a higher ratio of dying from SIDS than girls.
4. Passive smokers:
Babies who are passive smokers(parents caregivers or any other person who smokes near the baby) are more likely to feel a pray of SIDS.
5. Family history:
If the baby’s sibling dies from SIDS the baby has more risk of SIDS as there may be some complications in their genes.
3. What is the ABCs of Safe Sleep?
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- A…… Always put the baby ALONE to sleep so no one can roll onto the baby.
- B……..Always put the baby on their BACK to sleep to avoid suffocation and ease in breathing.
- c………Always put the baby on its CRIB to sleep.
4. How Can I Prevent SIDS?
The exact cause of SIDS is not fully understood, there are a number of things you can do to reduce the risk of SIDS.
Here is the list of 5 Things you can do to Reduce the Risk of SIDS.
1. Always put babies on their Back
It’s crucial to put babies on their backs while making them sleep. Even if you give tummy time to your baby you should never do it off guard.
2. Share the Same Room
It’s recommended to co-sleep with babies for at least 6 months. but do not share the same bed. Put baby in a crib and put that crib in the same room in which you sleep.
3. No Extra Blanket or Toy
Do not cover your baby’s face with a blanket and never put any stuffed toys or any extra cloth in babies crib.
4. Flat and Firm Bed
Always use a flat but firm place for babies to sleep and use fitted sheets as bed covers.
5. Overheating
Safe baby from Overheating while sleeping. No Extra layer of clothing and No Extra Blanket!
5. How SIDS is Diagnosed?
After the infant’s medical history review, death scene investigation, and a clear autopsy report if there is no cause of death only then SIDS is diagnosed as a cause of death.
6. Why SIDS is more common in winter?
SIDS is more common in winter because parents put an extra layer of clothes and blankets on the baby to keep the baby warm and cozy but it sometimes results in overheating difficulty in breathing and suffocation which are the leading factors of SIDS.
7. What are the causes of sleep-related deaths?
There are three factors in sleep-related deaths
- Suffocation: ( from the blanket, stuffed toys bed cover)
- Overlay: (When another person over onto the baby in co-sleeping)
- Unknown factors: ( the exact cause of SIDS IS unknown)