What is Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)?

          SIDS is the sudden death of an infant less than one year of age that cannot be explained by information collected during a thorough investigation. An investigation should include a complete autopsy, examination of the death scene, and a review of the clinical history.

          Although the overall rate of SIDS in the United States has declined by more than 50% since 1990, rates have declined less among non-Hispanic Black and American Indian/Alaska Native infants. Moreover, SIDS is still the third leading cause of infant mortality in the United States and the first leading cause of death among infants 28-364 days.

          Each year in the United States, more than 4,500 infants die suddenly of no obvious cause. Half of these sudden, unexplained infant deaths (SUID) are due to sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), the leading cause of SUID and of all deaths among infants aged 1-12 months. Largely because of the national Back to Sleep campaign's effort to reduce prone sleeping rates, SIDS rates have declined by more than 50% since 1990. However, studies have shown that since 1999, some deaths previously classified as SIDS are now classified as due to accidental suffocation or unknown/unspecified cause. This finding suggests that changes in reporting of cause of death may account for part of the recent decrease in SIDS rates.
          By definition, SIDS can only be diagnosed after a thorough examination of the death scene, a review of the clinical history, and performance of an autopsy fail to find an explanation for the death. And yet we know that some SUID are not investigated and, when they are, cause-of-death data are not collected and reported consistently. This is concerning because inaccurate classification of cause and manner of death ultimately impedes prevention efforts because researchers cannot adequately monitor national trends or evaluate prevention programs.

Risk Factors:
          The cause of SIDS is currently unknown. Several factors have been identified that increase an infant's risk for SIDS.
     Risk Factors for SIDS:

• Tummy (prone) or side sleeping
• Infants who are put to sleep on their tummy or side are more likely to die from SIDS than infants who sleep on their backs.
• Soft sleep surfaces
• Sleeping on a waterbed, couch, sofa, or pillows, or sleeping with stuffed toys has been associated with an increased risk for SIDS.
• Loose bedding
• Sleeping with pillows or loose bedding such as comforters, quilts, and blankets increases an infants risk for SIDS.
• Overheating
• Infants who overheat because they are overdressed, have too many blankets on, or are in a room that is too hot are at a higher risk of SIDS.
• Smoking
• Infants born to mothers who smoke during pregnancy are at increased of SIDS. Also, infants exposed to smoke at home or at daycare are more likely to die from SIDS.
• Bed sharing
• Sharing a bed with anyone other than the parents or caregivers and with people who smoke or are under the influence of alcohol or drugs, increases an infant's risk for SIDS. The safest place for an infant to sleep is in their own crib or other separate safe sleep surface next to the parent or caregiver's bed.
• Preterm and low birth weight infants
• Infants born premature or low birth weight are more likely to die from SIDS.

Top of Page

 
How can you help your infant sleep and nap safely?

1. Infants should ALWAYS be placed on their backs (face up) when they are resting, sleeping, or left alone.
2. Infants should be placed on their tummies (tummy time) ONLY when they are awake and supervised by someone responsible. Supervised tummy time is encouraged to help make your infant's neck and back muscles strong.
3. When infants are napping or sleeping they should ONLY be placed in cribs approved by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).
4. Mattresses should ALWAYS fit snugly into the crib's frame.
5. Cribs made after 1982 and sold in the United States by a retailer should, by law, meet the CPSC safety standards for cribs.
6. If you do not have a crib, your infant can be placed to sleep on another safe, firm sleep surface such as a bassinet, cradle, or co-sleeper that does not have any soft or fluffy items on its sleep surface
7. Infants should ALWAYS be placed on a firm surface or mattress.
8. Dress your infant in a sleeper or warm pajama instead of covering infant with a blanket.
9. If you choose to cover your infant, ALWAYS make sure the blanket stays at or lower than the infant's waist.
10. ALWAYS dress your infant the way that you would want to be dressed for the temperature around you.
11. Parents or caregivers who choose to share a bed with their infant should NEVER smoke or be under the influence of alcohol or drugs while sleeping with their infant.
12. Parents or caregivers who want to be close to their infant while they are sleeping can move the crib, bassinet, or co-sleeper next to their bed.
13. NO ONE other than the infant's parents or caregivers should ever sleep with the infant.
14. NEVER place your infant on a sofa, couch, pillow, or waterbed.
15. NEVER place your infant to sleep or to nap with any pillows, stuffed toys, bumper pads, comforters, quilts, or sheepskin.
16. NEVER smoke in the same room as an infant or child.
17. NEVER let anybody else smoke in the same room as your infant or child

Posted for Public Awareness: Wed Nov 08 2006 14:37:48 GMT+0800 (Philippines)

By: D. K. Mangusan Jr., PTRP

Please read our Disclaimer and Privacy Policy. Thank You.