Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (breastfeeding, wakes up, pacifier, support)

[ironicdreams]

Also known as SIDS. 2nd, 2005 and was taken by SIDS on March 13th, 2005.

Go to www .sids.org for more information.

Has anybody else ever known a child to die this way?

I wear my blue bracelet everyday to let the world know I support the research of SIDS.

[max's mama]

I don't know anyone personally, but I heard of few stories and it's beyond sad.

[ryane06]

Is there anyway to help prevent it? This is one of the things i will be worried about when i have a baby.

[max's mama]

Originally Posted by ryane06

Is there anyway to help prevent it? This is one of the things i will be worried about when i have a baby.

i think SIDS is such a freak of nature type of thing, it just happens out of nowhere and every mother's worst fear. They say not to put the baby on his stomach, keep him on the flat surface...some people think vaccines could be a reason... some people blame co-sleeping, when in actuality I think co-sleeping is best if you want to prevent it. Nursing co-sleeping moms are more intuned with what going on with the baby, she can sense him breathing and can be alarmed faster if something is wrong, unlike when the baby is asleep in another room. That was one of the reasons I co-slept, I was so terrified of SIDS, I needed to have my baby is close as possible to me.

[mommytotwo]

dont lay the baby on a pillow or other soft surface, this is why crib mattresses are so hard.

I did hear of one case, an acquaintance of my SIL, and the family was just devastated.

I simply cannot imagine the agony.

You will worry about this when you have a kid.

The first time you wake up and realize he has slept for 6 hours and usually wakes up after 2, you will for a split second smile gratefully and immediately after that run madly to his room to make sure he is still breathing. Then you will need to unwind from your panic attack. (not exaggerating here)

[*Danielle*]

Originally Posted by ryane06

Is there anyway to help prevent it? This is one of the things i will be worried about when i have a baby.

Put baby in a crib without blankets and use a sleep positioner...of course babe must be on it's back. We loved our Angel Monitor when they were little...

[ironicdreams]

Originally Posted by ryane06

Is there anyway to help prevent it? This is one of the things i will be worried about when i have a baby.

Though there is no scientific explanation for what causes SIDS, experts are learning what physical and evironmental factors put your baby at risk. Follow these guidelines to keep your baby as safe as possible:

1. Put your baby to sleep on her back, not on her stomach. This recommendation, unveiled a decade ago, has helped reduce SIDS rates in the US dramatically.

2. Don't smoke or allow others to smoke around your baby. Exposing your baby to cigarette smoke increases his chances of SIDS.

3. Breastfeed your baby, if you can, to boost her immunity to upper respiratory infections.

4. Consider giving your baby a pacifier at bedtime during the high-rish period of 2 to 6 months of age. The latest research indicates that pacifier use when sleeping somehow protects a baby from SIDS.

5. Don't overheat your baby's room; the ideal temperature is between 68 and 72 degrees.

6. Make sure your baby's crib meets safety standards, and don't put soft bedding, comfortors, pillows, sheepskins, or stuffed animals in it. Use a one-piece sleeper, rather than a blanket, to keep your baby warm.

7. Never allow your baby to sleep on a water bed.

8. If you share a family bed, consider using a co-sleeper instead.

9. Never use alcohol or drugs if you sleep with your baby. They can prevent you from waking easily.

10. Make sure that your baby's other caregivers are aware of and follow these safety rules.

Try to sleep when your baby sleeps and leave the cleaning for later!

Resource: How to Prevent SIDS

[findinghope]

i remember someone i went to grammer school with had a baby brother die from sids. very sad.
the oly way to "prevent" is to use a fitted sheet that fits well on the crib, no blankets, no pillows, no toys, no way for baby to get his/her face under anything in or around the bed.

[ADVentive]

Originally Posted by max's mama

i think SIDS is such a freak of nature type of thing, it just happens out of nowhere and every mother's worst fear. They say not to put the baby on his stomach, keep him on the flat surface...some people think vaccines could be a reason... some people blame co-sleeping, when in actuality I think co-sleeping is best if you want to prevent it. Nursing co-sleeping moms are more intuned with what going on with the baby, she can sense him breathing and can be alarmed faster if something is wrong, unlike when the baby is asleep in another room. That was one of the reasons I co-slept, I was so terrified of SIDS, I needed to have my baby is close as possible to me.

Ditto to that. I have heard theories that it is related to sleep apnea, and that is why sleeping on the back is important. Babies sleep more soundly on their stomachs, so might be less likely to wake during an apnea event than a baby sleeping on the back. Breastfeeding co-sleeping babies would naturally be on their backs because stomach sleeping would not be conducive to nursing at night. Also, mom is right there to notice any problem. I've heard that SIDS is much less of a problem in other parts of the world where breastfeeding/co-sleeping is the prevalent night-time routine.

Dr. James J. McKenna is the person doing the most notable research on this:
http://www.nd.edu/~jmckenn1/lab/arti...evelopment.pdf

[jennaflorrie]

When my daughter, she is now 14, was a baby, she was in the moses basket next to the sofa - I heard a strange noise, looked down and there she lay - head up, arms up - I picked her up, she was stiff as a piece of wood. Terrified, I rushed around patting her, taking her out into the cold November air, anything to get her back to normal. Eventually, she relaxed and she was ok. Never had another incident - but I am so glad I didn't just put her in a room alone (it was 9pm), if I had she may have died.