Sudden infant death syndrome
Crib death; SIDS
Last reviewed: August 2, 2011.
Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) is the unexpected, sudden death of a child under age 1 in which an autopsy does not show an explainable cause of death.
Causes, incidence, and risk factors
The cause of SIDS is unknown. Many doctors and researchers now believe that SIDS is caused by several different factors, including:
Problems with the baby's ability to wake up (sleep arousal)
Inability for the baby's body to detect a build-up of carbon dioxide in the blood
SIDS rates have dropped dramatically since 1992, when parents were first told to put babies to sleep on their backs or sides to reduce the likelihood of SIDS. Unfortunately, SIDS
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A baby that wakes up more easily may automatically move out of a dangerous position. If the baby is breastfeeding, it is best to wait until 1 month before offering a pacifier, so that it doesn’t interfere with breastfeeding. Do not force a baby to use a pacifier.
Do not use breathing monitors or products marketed as ways to reduce SIDS. In the past, home apnea (breathing) monitors were recommended for families with a history of the condition. But research found that they had no effect, and the use of home monitors has largely stopped.
Other recommendations from SIDS experts:
Keep your baby in a smoke-free environment.
Breastfeed your baby, if possible. Breastfeeding reduces some upper respiratory infections that may influence the development of SIDS.
NEVER give honey to a child less than 1 year old. Honey in very young children may cause infant botulism, which may be associated with SIDS
Rheumatic Heart Disease
Rheumatic heart disease is a complication of rheumatic fever in which the heart valves are damaged. Rheumatic fever is an inflammatory disease that begins with strep throat. It can affect connective tissue throughout the body, especially in the heart, joints, brain and skin. Although rheumatic fever can strike people of all ages, it is most common in children between 5 and 15 years old. The best way to prevent rheumatic fever is to treat strep
Some factors that cause SIDS are abnormalities in the brain that oversee your breathing premature birth or being born with another baby gives a higher chance of not
Another point that you need to know in managing your baby in terms of using pacifier is to give it during bedtime or naptime. Before you are going to do this for your baby, see to it that you need to comfort him or her first by singing, cuddling, rocking the crib, etc.
This is particularly true in an unexplained saddened death. Babies are not supposed to die before their parents. Because the death of an infant is a disruption of the natural order, it is traumatic for parents, family, and friends. Not having a plausible cause of death, the suddenness of the tragedy, and the involvement of the legal system make a SIDS death especially difficult, leaving a great sense of loss and a need for understanding.
According to the Iowa SIDS Foundation, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome is the unforeseen death of an infant between the ages of one to twelve months old, without a known cause. Even after a thorough examination and autopsy, there is no recognizable cause of the death of the baby. Mayo Clinic states that scientists believe it could be linked to the portion of the brain that contains breathing but there is no proof that supports that statement. Scientists have been searching for
For as long as we can remember we are always told to never sleep with your baby that you could suffocate them by rolling over on them or what not. In a study by Davies, he found that prior to the 1700's co-sleeping was a normal thing around the world. It was not until the 1800's when the western society moved away from co-sleeping to an independent sleeping arrangement claiming the child will be too attached and have security problems; you will never get the child to sleep in their own bed; the child will not learn independence; or, the child could suffocate in various ways. Well, I agree
They continue to state that all infants need to be placed on their backs anytime they go to sleep, including naps, until they are one year old. They advise against placing a child to sleep on their side, and say that an infant should only be placed on its stomach if it suffers from gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and the risk of death from GERD outweighs the risk of death from SIDS. The AAP states that preterm babies need to be placed on their backs immediately, as they have an even higher risk of SIDS than others due to a lower birth weight. According to the AAP, hospitalized preterm babies should also be placed on their backs while hospitalized, and they encourage NICU (neonatal intensive care unit) personnel to teach parents safe sleeping habits (AAP,
Variations in breathing patterns are common in all infants. Your baby frequently “miss a breath” which is normal. However, a simple cold, a virus, or an allergy can cause a baby’s temperature to rise, affecting his/her ease and rate of breathing. You have to monitor these situations since they require prompt medical intervention or else they can quickly worsen. Note that SIDS comes without warning and happens quickly. Babysense Hisense 5s infant monitor is all you need to get the rest you need knowing that your baby is
“Bedtime Basics for Babies,” a campaign started in 1994, wanted to learn about the effects on SIDS rates after distributing cribs and infant sleeping education to families in Washington, Indiana, and Washington, DC. Bedtime Basics for Babies measured the family’s education about infant sleeping before and after the information was given. After the information and crib was given, the parent’s knowledge in each subject improved and only 16% of parents allowed bed sharing. Since this program has been implemented SIDS rates have dropped by 50%. One limitation of this study could be they only tested it in 3 states instead of all 50.
SIDS, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, a leading cause of death in infants under the age of one, has left medical experts unable to clearly define sudden infant death syndrome. After thirty years of research, the medical field has not discovered definite causes for SIDS. Medical experts have suggested many theories that have been studied and debated.
Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) is the sudden and unexplained death of a baby while sleeping. It is sometimes called crib death, since SIDS babies usually die in their cribs. No one understands what causes the condition, although research suggests it could be associated with brain abnormalities in the areas that control awakening from sleep and breathing. It appears that boys are more prone to SIDS than girls, as are those from the black, Alaska Native, and American Indian races. The condition most often strikes in the first few months of an infant’s life.
This could lead to different types of diseases such as; BPD (Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia) , Asthma, or even SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome). BPD is more commonly found in premature infants but in some cases healthy babies can also get this disease. One of the reasons why BPD is common in premature babies is because their immune systems are weak. BPD is from damage to the lungs caused by mechanical ventilation (respirator) and long-term use of oxygen. This occurs in premature babies because a lot of time they have to be put on oxygen to help them breath until their lungs become stronger. When an infant is diagnosed with a chronic lungs disease it can lead to other types of infections or complications. If a baby has to be put on a ventilator it could cause complications with their lungs. Ventilators force breathing which means that the ventilators will be forcing high oxygen levels into the lungs of an infant or premature baby. This could possibly cause damage to their lungs. Another chronic lung disease that is commonly found in babies is SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome). SIDS is an unexplained death, it usually happens while the baby is sleeping, it can happen to a healthy baby who is less than a year old. Some physicians say that the cause of SIDS is from the brain stem being defected; the brain stem controls breathing. Out of 60,000
In the triple-risk model it suggests that three different factors or events can lead to SIDS: The first element of the model is the critical development period, where the baby is growing and developing rapidly. A rapid growth can make a baby’s system unstable. This defect possibly will be located in the brainstem, which is to blame for heart rate, respiratory controls and overall body regulatory mechanisms (Firstcandle, 2010). “The second element, the vulnerable infant, represents an infant with this underlying abnormality in an area of their brain stem that controls respiration, heart rate, temperature, arousal from sleep and other major bodily functions during early life (Firstcandle, 2010)”. The third and last element involves outside or environmental challenges, which a normal baby can easily overcome, but a baby already vulnerable might not. “Challenges such as tobacco exposure, tummy sleeping, soft bedding, bed sharing or an upper respiratory infection alone do not cause death for healthy infants, but could trigger a sudden, unexpected death in a vulnerable infant (Firstcandle, 2010).” “According to the triple-risk model, an infant will die of SIDS only if he or she possesses all three factors described above (Firstcandle, 2010)”.
The accurate reasons for SIDS are still hazy and examination is continuous. “African American Infants are a few times more probable than Caucasian children to pass from SIDS, and Native American newborn children are three times more probable than Caucasians to succumb to SIDS” (http://sleepfoundation.org/). There are a few elements which make babies more defenseless against SIDS. Some danger elements are preventable, yet others are definitely not. Confirmation has demonstrated that a few children who pass on from SIDS have the accompanying; Brain abnormalities, low birth weight, and respiratory infection, which can make babies more vulnerable to sudden death during infancy. “Exposure to cigarette smoke, age under 20, low weight gain, anemia and illegal drug use can also all be causes of SIDS” (textbook pg.424)
SIDS and how to prevent it, are still limited. The leaders in this field are
Respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) is a common lung disorder that mostly affects preterm infants. RDS is caused by insufficient surfactant production and structural immaturity of the lungs leading to alveolar collapse. Clinically, RDS presents soon after birth with tachypnea, nasal flaring, grunting, retractions, hypercapnia, and/or an oxygen need. The usual course is clinical worsening followed by recovery in 3 to 5 days as adequate surfactant production occurs. Research in the prevention and treatment of this disease has led to major improvements in the care of preterm infants with RDS and increased survival. However, RDS remains an important cause of morbidity and mortality especially in the most preterm infants. This chapter reviews the most current evidence-based management of RDS, including prevention, delivery room stabilization, respiratory management, and supportive care.