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Sudden Infant Death Syndrome or SIDS has long been a puzzle to researchers, yet, no theories or explanations have yet been found convincing enough. Doctors have not yet been able to determine whether the baby suddenly had a heart problem or just simply lost the ability to breathe. Some of the theories related to SIDS emphasize that the baby's upper airway gets blocked making the baby suffocate or the blood’s composition of the baby was somehow wrong and there is a buildup of fatty acids in blood and thus, the brain of the baby stopped functioning. Others blame faulty nervous system in babies for SIDS as it fails to warn the baby and wake it up when the oxygen supply is low. It could be that SIDS babies don't have that mechanism.
Yet other theories blame a faulty immune system or the way a baby sleeps such as soft bedding in which the babies accidentally bury their face and then are unable to turn away again and get suffocated or baby being overheated and was unable to breathe because they were wrapped too tightly in blankets. SIDS has no warning signs or symptoms; so, the only way to safeguard your babies against SIDS is prevention. Here are some tips for parents of infants that will keep their babies safe:
- Sleep position: Baby sleeping on tummies were thought to be safer and less likely to choke but researches prove that babies should be placed on their backs while sleeping so there are less chances that their faces get covered with pillows and blankets. Even side sleeping should be avoided. Preemies are kept on their tummies or sides in the neonatal intensive care unit so they can breathe better but once they come home, you can put them on their backs too.
- Good prenatal care: Women need and should be provided with best possible medical care while they are pregnant so that they and their babies keep healthy. They should be emphatically warned about the risks of smoking, use of drugs and alcohol. Prenatal care should also include education for the expectant mother on how to care for her new baby.
- Proper bedding: Avoid soft and loose bedding such as beanbags, waterbeds, soft mattresses, sofas, quilts, comforters, sheepskins, pillow-like soft stuffed toys and fluffy pillows for the baby as they increase the risk for SIDS. Babies should sleep on firm mattresses and make sure that crib is free of the above-mentioned things when the baby is sleeping and that he is not over bundled. Also make sure that there is no smoke to suffocate the baby. You can replace blankets with a sleeper or other sleep clothing with no covering. If you still use the blanket, cover the baby only up to the baby's chest and make sure that his head remains uncovered during sleep.
- Room temperature: A baby's room should neither be overheated nor too cold as infants are very sensitive to changes in temperature. Too warm rooms can cause baby to sleep so deeply that they may not be able to wake up in time, if they are having difficulty in breathing.
- Diet: Breast fed babies are believed to have additional protection against infections that can cause SIDS in infants.
- Bed sharing with parents: It is safer to make your baby sleep in his crib or a co-sleeping attachment in your bedroom than bed sharing with the baby until he is 6 months old. If you nurse your baby in bed, you can cuddle together and let him fall asleep there but put him down to sleep in his own crib before you go to sleep.
- Secondhand smoke: Do not smoke or do not allow anyone to smoke near the baby or it may cause infections in their breathing tubes.
- Electronic monitoring: Electronic devices can help the parents to listen to their babies while they are sleeping and raise an alarm if the baby stops breathing. However, they are not known to reduce the risk of SIDS but are recommended for babies who are known to be at greater risk for SIDS such as premature infants, infants with previous breathing problems or babies in families where there have been cases of SIDS already.
- Daycare: Make sure that the daycare centers where you leave your baby also follow these rules and do not the babies to sleep on their tummies.
- Pacifiers: Pacifiers can be an added protection for babies up to 6 months.