Related concepts:

SIDS

Introduction to SIDS:

Everything dear to us causes pain. Becoming a parent opens up new landscapes within us: new hopes, fears, delights, and sorrows. There is no magic moment when you will stop worrying. Sometimes, even when we do everything right, babies die. The fragility and unpredictability of life underscore how precious each life is.

What is SIDS?

SIDS, or Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, is defined as the sudden, unexpected, and unexplained death of any infant or young child.

According to the CDC, SIDS is the leading cause of death among babies from 1 to 12 months of age. It is the third leading cause of overall infant mortality in the United States.

Who gets SIDS?

The peak period for SIDS is between two and four months old. It is very rare before one month of age, and at least 95 percent of all the cases have occurred before children reach six months old.

SIDS is rare in babies who sleep face up in a crib or who sleep face up with a mother not using alcohol, drugs, or cigarettes (and not on a waterbed or soft sofa).

SIDS is more common in babies who sleep in warm environments, who are over-bundled, who sleep in rooms with space heaters, who are exposed to cigarette smoke, who sleep on soft surfaces, who do not use pacifiers, and those who sleep face down or in a prone position. The rate of SIDS is also higher in those babies who do not receive timely well-child care and immunizations.

Events that occur even before the baby is born affect the risk of SIDS. Anything that causes less oxygen to get to the baby in the uterus will increase his or her risk. On average, smoking during pregnancy doubles the chances, and the odds increase with each cigarette. Other drugs of abuse such as cocaine or heroine increase the risk by as many as thirty times.

Genetics also plays a large role. SIDS is more common in boys than in girls, and it is more common in some population groups (Black, Native American, Hawaiian, Filipino, Maori). Affected infants may have been born with immature brainstems, making it difficult for them to wake up when they are in trouble.

In one study of 35,000 healthy babies in Italy, the babies had EKGs performed in the first week of life. They were then followed for a year. Most of those who ended up dying of SIDS had an abnormality on their original EKGs (a prolonged QTc interval). Those with this abnormality were more than 40 times more likely than their peers to die from SIDS. These findings hold promise for future screening and prevention.

While parents often feel horribly responsible after SIDS, sometimes there is nothing they could have done to prevent it. There are many factors outside of our control.

What are the symptoms of SIDS?

The child’s death is the first symptom of SIDS. The great majority of the children who are discovered dead from SIDS are found face down.

Is SIDS contagious?

SIDS is not believed to be contagious.