Sudden Infant Death Syndrome
Sudden
Infant Death Syndrome, otherwise known as SIDS, is a condition when a baby
stops breathing while they are asleep and dies without a cause. SIDS is the highest
cause of death among infants. An infant is most subjective to SIDS during 2-4
months of infancy. Although the statistics are scary to hear, there are many precautions you can take as a parent to protect your child from this.
SIDS can occur in infants who are low in birth weight, have abnormal brain stem functioning, or even a perfectly healthy baby. Mothers who have lost previous infants to SIDS will most likely have future infants at risk of SIDS. A number of infants with sleep apnea; which is when an infant temporarily stops breathing for a short time; also are at a higher risk for SIDS. Infants exposed to cigarette or other types of smoke are also at risk for SIDS. Soft bedding can also play a significant role in putting your infant at risk too. If there is a bulky blanket in your baby's crib, the infant's face can become covered with the blanket and it will stop breathing. When you lay your baby down to sleep in it's crib, place them face-up so there is nothing covering the baby's face.
There are many factors that have been proven to help reduce SIDS in infants. Safety starts with the crib. The baby's crib should have tight fitted sheets so the fabric is not loose enough to cover the baby's face while asleep. The padding around the bars of the crib should also be tight around the crib so the baby cannot pull the padding closer to his/her face nor slip beneath it. SIDS has also been proven to be reduced if the infant sleeps with a pacifier in their mouth. Placing a rotating fan in the child's room will help to circulate the air around the baby and promotes a safer sleeping environment if the room temperature is around sixty-seven degrees. It also has been shown to help reduce SIDS when there is a fan on in the room.
There are many misconceptions of what exactly causes Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. Minor illnesses, vomiting, choking, child abuse and vaccinations do not cause SIDS. What causes SIDS is unfortunately still unknown but being aware of SIDS and the factors that can reduce SIDS will increase the chances of your infant not dying of SIDS.
Some more information about SIDS can be found at the following links:
There are many factors that have been proven to help reduce SIDS in infants. Safety starts with the crib. The baby's crib should have tight fitted sheets so the fabric is not loose enough to cover the baby's face while asleep. The padding around the bars of the crib should also be tight around the crib so the baby cannot pull the padding closer to his/her face nor slip beneath it. SIDS has also been proven to be reduced if the infant sleeps with a pacifier in their mouth. Placing a rotating fan in the child's room will help to circulate the air around the baby and promotes a safer sleeping environment if the room temperature is around sixty-seven degrees. It also has been shown to help reduce SIDS when there is a fan on in the room.
There are many misconceptions of what exactly causes Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. Minor illnesses, vomiting, choking, child abuse and vaccinations do not cause SIDS. What causes SIDS is unfortunately still unknown but being aware of SIDS and the factors that can reduce SIDS will increase the chances of your infant not dying of SIDS.
Some more information about SIDS can be found at the following links:
- http://kidshealth.org/parent/general/sleep/sids.html
- http://www.cdc.gov/SIDS/INDEX.HTM
- http://www.sids.org/
Tummy Time!
Putting your child on their tummies early on in life helps them develop strength in their back and neck. This position helps them to view their world better and become familiar with it's surroundings. Babies are not used to being on their tummies so they will fuss when initially place them in that position. It helps to join your baby on the floor for some play time. Another great tummy time position could be laying the baby on your chest so that you are face to face. When your baby is on the floor for tummy time, prop them up on their elbows to give them more support and comfort. The toy below promotes tummy time by using a cloth stuffed ring that the baby can lay on to help keep their heads and shoulders up during play time. The This can be bought on amazon.com and the ring is called Boppy Tummy Time! Visit the website below the picture to purchase one today!
http://www.amazon.com/Boppy-Tummy-Time-Pillow-Honeybee/dp/B00AIVN8EQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1398211997&sr=8-1&keywords=boppy+tummy+time