SIDS: Disease Killing Infants
SIDS or Sudden Infant Death Syndrome is the unexplained death or sudden death of an infant aged 1 to 12 months. This is also one of the leading causes of infant mortality in the world. SIDS is frightening because it can strike without warning even in what seem as healthy babies. Since most SIDS cases are associated with sleep, it is also called as ‘crib death’ because infants who die of it show no signs of any suffering. SIDS is also said to be connected with abnormalities in the portion of an infant’s brain that controls breathing and arousal from sleep.
The cause of SIDS is unknown. But many doctors and researchers believe that SIDS is caused by many factors which include problems with the baby’s ability to wake up or sleep arousal and the inability for the baby’s body to detect a build up of carbon dioxide in the blood.
Other factors may also increase the risk of SIDS which is likely to occur in boys than girls. These risk factors may be any of the following:
- Sleeping in the same bed as their parents or co-sleeping – Sleeping in the same bed with the parents may increase the risk because there are more soft surfaces which may impair breathing.
- Sleeping on the stomach – Infants placed on their stomachs or sides to be able to sleep may have more difficulty breathing.
- Soft bedding in the crib – Fluffy comforter can block the infant’s airway thus causing difficulty in breathing.
- Brain abnormalities – Infants born with these problems may have portion of their brain that controls breathing and arousal from sleep not work properly.
- Premature birth or being part of multiple births – This also increases the chance of a baby’s brain not matured completely.
- Having a brother or sister who had SIDS
- Being born to a teen mother
- Late or no prenatal care
- Being around cigarette smokers while still in the womb or even after being born – Infants of mothers who smoked during pregnancy are three times more likely to die of SIDS while being exposed to smokes doubles the risk. Smoking affects the central nervous system which could place the baby at higher chance of SIDS
- Short-time period between pregnancies
- Mothers who smoke or use illegal drugs
Losing a precious baby is very hard to accept for any parents. That’s why getting emotional support is very critical for them. They will feel guilt and grief while dealing with investigations on the cause of death. Losing a child can also put a strain on marriage. Parents and their families should give time to grieve. The death of a baby is such a devastating loss. So it should understood that healing do take time. Spreading awareness and important information about SIDS will also reduce such cases around the world - decreasing the number of parents grieving for the loss of their babies
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Published at: 10/29/2015
