Causes of Infant Sudden Death and How To Avoid It
Welcome to the latest Daddy’s Office, a no-nonsense look at what your baby shouldn’t be doing. Today, we address a very serious subject that intersects with our last column on cot death: baby sudden death. It’s another of those things that you would rather not think about if it weren’t for the fact that if you know what to look for, you might save your child. So let’s take a careful look.
Understanding Infant Sudden Death
Infant sudden death describes any unexpected death in an infant younger than age 1, such as SUID (Sudden Unexpected Infant Death), encompassing a broad spectrum of unknown or unclear causes that can include Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS, which involves no findings after a complete autopsy and medical examination of the death scene), accidental suffocation or strangulation in bed, and unidentified or unclear contributions. The mystery of such deaths, coupled with the suddenness of SIDS-associated death, contributes to the devastating nature of these events.
Causes of Infant Sudden Death
Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)
Most people know of SIDS as its eponym, sudden infant death syndrome, suggests – the unexpected death in infancy from an apparent safe sleep episode of a seemingly normal, healthy infant. SIDS is perhaps the most common diagnosis for SUDI, though it is really just the name we use when we can’t find an answer to why our baby suddenly died. The cause of most SIDS deaths is unknown, but it’s generally agreed that the disease is a complex consequence of multiple factors. The most widely accepted theory of SIDS proposed that the brains of some infants could not fully revive from unconsciousness, either because they were inherently vulnerable or after a combination of stresses.
Accidental Suffocation
Another is unexpected sudden infant death, often due to accidental suffocation – being trapped or strangled by bedding, or being smothered when a parent rolls over on top of the sleeping infant. Avoiding unsafe sleep environments is the best way to prevent these tragedies.
Infections
Occasionally, babies die suddenly because a bad infection overpowers a newborn immune system still at a primitive state of development. They might develop a respiratory infection, or sepsis or meningitis. Such rapid infections can kill a baby in a short time if they are not treated in time.
Birth Defects
Congenital (present from birth) or congenital (following birth) abnormalities or faults, especially internal ones – such as a hole in the heart – can sometimes lead to sudden infant deaths in which these defects are revealed, even though they would not have been obvious at birth. Checkups are vital to prevent this.
Environmental Factors
Other factors such as second-hand smoke, overheating or even the baby’s sleeping position are important to Sudden Infant Death. Environmentally sensitive, babies respond to the minutiae of their surroundings, sometimes with increased risk.
Risk Factors for Infant Sudden Death
Maternal Factors
Maternal health in pregnancy also matters. You become more susceptible to SIDS if your mother smoked, drank, used drugs during gestation. Even more non-controllable things – like your maternal age and whether you got prenatal care – factor in.
Infant Factors
Certain characteristics of the infant also contribute to SIDS. Prematures, low-weight babies, infants with respiratory infections are at raised risk. Males appear to be slightly more vulnerable than females.
Environmental Factors
The environment in which your baby sleeps is actually the biggest modifiable risk factor. This includes unsafe sleep environments with soft bedding, overheating, and an unsafe sleep surface (such as bed-sharing).
Safe Sleep Practices
Here are some key practices to ensure your baby sleeps safely.
Back to Sleep
Put your infant on their back to go to sleep. Doing so cuts their risk of SIDS to a fraction.
Firm Sleep Surface
Use a firm mattress with a fitted sheet. Do not lean on sofas, armchairs, or waterbeds.
Room Sharing Without Bed Sharing
Keep the baby’s crib in your room for the first year (safer than bed-sharing and easier for nighttime feedings).
Avoid Overheating
Put your baby to bed in light sleep clothing and make sure your baby’s room is comfortable, not too hot. If a room is too hot it can increase the risk for SIDS.
Importance of Breastfeeding
Breastfeeding reduces the risk of SIDS since it means your baby receives all the necessary vitamins and his immune system is strengthened. If you can manage, aim to breastfeed your baby for at least six months.
Pacifier Use
Giving the binky at nap and bedtime reduces the risk of SIDS. But if the baby’s not interested, that’s fine too. Don’t force it.
Immunizations and Regular Check-Ups
Track your child’s immunisation schedule, get a health check by your doctor regularly, and keep following your baby’s paediatric immunisations. In fact, immunisation is important because it prevents child from many micro-organisms, which could increase infant’s risk for SIDS.
Avoiding Exposure to Smoke, Alcohol, and Drugs
Second-hand smoke is an important risk factor for SIDS. Make where you live and your baby’s spaces smoke-free. Don’t drink alcohol or do drugs while you’re caring for your baby. These can cloud your judgment and make it harder for you to keep your baby safe.
Creating a Safe Sleep Environment
Let’s dive deeper into setting up a safe sleep space for your baby.
Crib Safety
Check that the crib you buy complies with all current safety standards, with slats no more than 2 3/8 inches apart so that your baby won’t be able to get her head stuck in them.
Appropriate Bedding
Use a firm mattress covered with a fitted sheet. Avoid pillows, quilts, and comforters.
Avoid Soft Toys and Loose Bedding
Don’t keep stuffed animals, bumpers, and loose blankets in the crib. They’re suffocation hazards.
Addressing Parental Concerns and Myths
Many myths about SIDS still exist and can make parents anxious. Here are a few.
SIDS is Caused by Vaccinations
No, vaccinations don’t cause SIDS – they prevent your baby from contracting serious life-threatening diseases.
Only Happens to Unhealthy Babies
SIDS can strike even the healthiest of babies, which is why all infants must be placed on their backs to sleep in a crib each night.
Monitors Can Prevent SIDS
Even if monitors offer a measure of reassurance, they are not a prevention for SIDS and can never take the place of following safe-sleep recommendations.
Prenatal Care
Low birth weight, the result of poor prenatal care, is a precursor to SID. Prenatal care and a healthy pregnancy lifestyle are essential.
Preventive Measures
Safe Sleep Practices
Ensure your baby sleeps on their back, use a hard mattress and avoid placing your baby in a sleep area with soft objects (a sleep sack can be a great alternative to blankets).
Regular Medical Checkups
Make sure you take your baby for a routine check at the pediatrician’s: it’s the best way to make sure your baby is growing and developing normally, and catch any problems early on.
Parental Education
Education is key. Safe-sleep education programmes and other prevention resources for parents used during home visits and in clinics telling parents about how they can prevent infant death by safe sleep practices, the harms of smoking, and prenatal care can help reduce infant deaths because surviving parents want to know how to keep their next infant safe. And all parents and their support networks should be informed and vigilant.
Conclusion
No wonder it’s a confusing topic and some of the risk factors and causes remain unknown. I can’t help but hope they will follow meaningful and wonder-filled journeys in this big wide world. In the meantime, they will stay in their clear cots, close to their parents’ hearts. This article was supported by a grant from AICR. The funders of Aeon Magazine and Aeon+Psyche have no role in deciding what to publish or how to write it.
FAQs
What is the primary cause of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)?
Thanks to extensive studies, we know that it is usually not a single issue that causes SIDS. Rather, it is thought to be a complex interaction of many factors, including brain defects, genetic factors and common environmental stresses.
How can I create a safe sleep environment for my baby? |
Always make sure your baby sleeps on their back, use a firm mattress and make sure the crib is clear of any soft toys, pillows and loose bedding.
Can smoking during pregnancy increase the risk of infant sudden death?
Yes, The rate of SIDS and other causes of infant sudden death is greatly increased by smoking during and after pregnancy.
What are the warning signs of congenital defects, which can lead to sudden infant death?
Some birth defects may not cause an immediate sign: only regular medical checkup can find these problems from the beginning.
How often should my baby have medical checkups?
You should follow the schedule of your pediatrician for proper physical and development checks, especially in the first year, to ensure that your baby is doing fine.
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