A Cure for SIDS?
I have never had a child die from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). A co-worker of mine did though. SIDS is defined as the death of an otherwise healthy infant that can’t be attributed to any other cause.
I knew that our son was healthy, but the fact that he was still at risk for SIDS was slightly terrifying to me. I especially worried since his older brother was stillborn and I just did not want to lose another child. I researched SIDS and tried to do my best to lower the risk factors.
I made sure he slept on his back, I didn’t allow friends to smoke in our house, I made sure to not overdress him at night, and I let him sleep in a sleep sack instead of using blankets. I also gave him a pacifier at night because studies showed that pacifiers did lower the SIDS risk slightly.
A new study published in a health journal states that the use of a fan may also help to prevent deaths from SIDS. Researchers are quick to point out that further study needs to be done on the issue, but this seems to suggest that air circulation and ventilation are an important factor in preventing SIDS.
Experts agree that the best way to help prevent SIDS is to put babies to sleep on their backs. It is also important to make sure that your baby is sleeping on a firm mattress and that he or she is not overheated when sleeping.
The recent study was published in October’s Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine. The study involved 500 infants from over 11 counties in California and was supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health.
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