The Latest on SIDS
Sudden infant death syndrome, also known as SIDS or crib death, is the unanticipated death of an otherwise healthy baby under a year old. For some reason, boys and children of younger moms are at higher risk than others; so are bottle-fed and lower-birth-weight babies.
The current thinking about SIDS is that it could be caused by rebreathing carbon dioxide, a birth defect or brain abnormality, or simply problems breathing when baby's on his or her stomach. Since the cause is unknown, remember that risk factors for SIDS include putting a baby to sleep on his or her stomach or side, allowing baby to get overheated, and exposure to second-hand smoke.
Infants and children under the age of two should never be allowed to sleep with pillows; infants should always sleep on firm mattresses and be put to sleep on their backs. The national “Back to Sleep” campaign encourages babies to sleep in this position, as it minimizes opportunities for oxygen depletion.
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Doctors do believe there's some correlation between smoking and SIDS. Babies whose mothers smoked during or after pregnancy are at elevated risk of SIDS. So, if you smoke, there's never been a more important reason to quit. Do it for the health of yourself and your baby!
When baby is old enough to roll over in the crib, he may wish to sleep on the stomach versus the back. However, by this time, the baby will be well past the age of highest risk for SIDS.
Not every case of SIDS can be traced back to smothering. Doctors believe there could be several other factors at play, such as brain stem abnormalities involving imbalances in the way the brain processes the neurotransmitter serotonin. Researchers hope to soon develop a diagnostic test for this brain stem defect.
