It's a common fear of many new parents--will my baby die from SIDS? I know it's a fear of mine. When my first baby started sleeping through the night in her crib, instead of enjoying it, I slept terribly. I felt so nervous that something was wrong with her that I often woke up and checked on her during the night to make sure she was still breathing. With my son, I haven't even tried to get him to sleep throughout the night in a crib; my son and I both sleep best snuggled next to each other.
SIDS stands for "Sudden Infant Death Syndrome." Some call it crib-death or cot-death because it most often occurs during sleep. It is defined as 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).
No one knows the causes of SIDS, so SIDS parents should not conclude that their child care practices may have caused their baby's death. The scary thing is, a parent can do everything "right," and their baby can still die. A healthy, full-term, breastfed (or formula-fed), family-bedded (or not), vaccinated (or not) baby can die for no apparent reason at all. As many as two-thirds of SIDS victims have no known risk factors, and most babies with one or more risk factors will not become SIDS victims. Many believe that the following suggestions may reduce the risk of SIDS:
1) Healthy infants should be placed on their back to sleep (see SIDS: "Back to Sleep" Campaign).
2) Breastfeed your baby. Breastmilk can provide protection from some infections that can trigger sudden death in infants. The superior oral ability of breast-fed children may also help reduce the risk.
3) Stop smoking around the baby. Mothers put their baby at higher risk when they smoke during pregnancy, and they also increase their baby's risk of dying when their baby is around smoke after pregnancy.
4) Use firm bedding materials--a firm, flat mattress is safest. Do not put your baby to bed on soft surfaces such as sheepskins, futons, beanbag cushions, foam pads, foam sofa cushions, waterbeds, synthetic filled adult pillows and foam pads covered with comforters. Note: If you use a waterbed, keep it very full so it is firm; also, be sure there is no crevice between the mattress and frame. A free-floating waterbed, without internal baffles, is not safe for baby.
