SIDS is a topic that is very meaningful to me. When my children
were babies my biggest fear was something unexplainable would happen to them
while they slept. I have a friend who lost their daughter to sudden infant
death syndrome and it is devastating. There is still no explanation or way to
totally prevent SIDS but there are things for you to do to lessen your risks of
it happening. Putting babies to sleep on their back has proven to decrease the
risks of SIDS. Other risks that may cause SIDS are low birth weight, cigarette smoke
in the household, soft blankets or pillow, and bed-sharing. Bed-sharing is when
the baby sleeps with the parent(s).
SIDS in the UK
In the affluent West, SIDS is the most common cause of death of
children between the ages of 1 month and 1 year,[2] with the majority of the
deaths occurring between the ages of 4 and 6 months.[2] The true incidence may
be masked due to discrepancies in the diagnosis used on death certificates -
for example, accidental suffocation being misdiagnosed as suffocation and vice
versa.
“In the affluent West, SIDS is the most common cause of death of
children between the ages of 1 month and 1 year,] with the
majority of the deaths occurring between the ages of 4 and 6 months. The
true incidence may be masked due to discrepancies in the diagnosis used on
death certificates - for example, accidental suffocation being misdiagnosed as
suffocation and vice versa.
·
More than 300 babies per year die from SIDS in
the UK.
·
Among industrialized nations, Japan has the
lowest reported SIDS rate (0.09 cases per 1,000) whilst New Zealand has the
highest rate (0.8 cases per 1,000).
·
The UK rate for SIDS is 0.41 per 1,000 live
births.
·
Cot death is more common in male infants (about
60%) of cases.
·
The number and rate of SIDS cases has been
falling since 1989. This fall was most marked between 1991 and 1992, when the
'Reduce the Risk' campaign was launched. The USA implemented a similar
campaign - 'Back to Sleep'.
·
In 2009, 78% of all SIDS cases were in infants
aged less than 3 months. 90% of SIDS deaths occur in the first six months
of life.
·
In 2009, babies with a low birth weight (less
than 2500 g) were five times more likely to die than those of normal birth
weight.
·
The most common season is the winter and the
most common time is early morning. This may be related to changing sleep
patterns as the infant matures, increased risk of respiratory infections in the
colder months” (Patient UK, 2015,
p. 2).
This information is vital
to my future work with children. If I am working with infants I want to keep them
safe while they are in my care. I can do this by following the recommendations on
what to do to prevent SIDS. It is also essential to inform parents of these risks
also and how they can help to try to prevent Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.
References
Brandie,
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed your post and found it informative. As a new parent, SIDS is one of my major concerns. We use a bed bassinet for my son that lays in between my husband and I, therefore he his close by but still has his own place to sleep. We also place him on his back and swaddle him when he sleeps to decrease the chances of him rolling over and getting suffocated by blankets or the lining of the bassinet.