He Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), also know as Death in the Cradle, is one of the unknowns of medicine that has not yet been fully resolved for a very simple reason: there is no clear evidence of what causes it.
However, it is not known why there are babies who die while they sleep does not mean that nothing can be done to prevent it, because over the years, in each of the deaths, all possible data on the customs of each family and thanks to that, today, we know many of the factors that help it happen: the 16 things you should do to prevent sudden death of the baby.
What is the risk of sudden death of a baby?
In reality, the risk is very low if adequate measures are taken into account, which does not always happen. It is currently estimated that the SMSL affects 1 in 2,000 babies, and it happens especially between the fourth and sixteenth week (between the baby turns 1 month and turns 4 months).
In Babies and more Sudden baby death syndrome is more frequent in the cold monthsThey are babies who have been well cared for in their homes, without signs of illness, whose autopsies do not reveal the cause of death (if they are babies with illness who die from it, we no longer talk about SIDS).
It is more frequent in the months that it is colder, in male babies and in those who weighed little at birth, and it has been seen that those who are most at risk are premature babies, babies from families with a history of sudden death, children of smoking mothers and those who are put to sleep on their stomachs.
SMSL or asphyxiation?
Not all babies who die at night do so because of the SMSL. Some die from suffocation, being wrapped in blankets, under a cushion or in some way that they are unable to breathe properly. The difference in the cause is obvious: one dies because he cannot breathe and the other because it is not well known why, although the result is the same and therefore the recommendations are always aimed at avoiding both types of death.
You really don't know what the cause may be?
For sure, no. Although there is already some progress: in 2014 it was found in an investigation with babies killed by sudden death that 40% had an abnormality in their brain. This anomaly affected his hippocampus, an area of the brain that influences functions such as breathing, heart rate and body temperature, through its neurological connections with the brainstem. The theory says that in situations where the baby may have some difficulty breathing, the mechanism that would help him do so does not work properly, leading to death.
This, of course, could explain some of the cases, but not all. So then there are the hypotheses that are yet to be demonstrated, such as Heart problems (some type of malformation difficult to detect) or some mutated gene that would participate in the control of heart rate and breathing.
The 16 things you should do to prevent sudden death of the baby
As we do not know the cause, but the situations that can make it difficult for babies to breathe in which their "alarm" is tested, which must make them continue to breathe, we tell you what to do to avoid these situations:
1. Keep an adequate control of pregnancy
It has been seen that in those pregnancies in which there is less control the risk of SIDS is greater. The risk decreases when the baby is not born premature or underweight, and good control in pregnancy could help prevent it in some cases.
2. Do not smoke, drink alcohol or use drugs during pregnancy
It has been seen that there is a relationship between the consumption of these substances during pregnancy and the risk of sudden death of the baby born. In addition, if a woman smokes, drinks alcohol and uses drugs already in pregnancy, the risk of continuing to do so once the baby is born is more than evident, and further multiplies the chances of SIDS.
3. At birth, have the baby skin with skin, but with an adult watching the baby and the mother
The skin-to-skin method, which is really nothing more than putting the baby, when it is born, where it should be, in the mother's chest, is the best way to avoid stress on the baby, to maintain a bond that is not breaks with the separation, to maintain the temperature of the baby and to achieve a successful lactation.
However, since this method has been carried out, some (few) cases of the baby's death have been described in the first hours, being in his mother's chest. It usually happens when the mother she is tired of childbirth and falls asleep, unable to be attentive to your baby's signals.
That is why it is recommended that babies remain in the breast of their mothers at birth, but with an adult who is with them And don't leave them alone.
4. Breastfeed the baby
Breastfeeding protects the baby from sudden death. It is estimated that the risk decreases between 50 and 70%, although the reasons are not very clear: it may be milk, it may be that babies who breastfeed usually eat less and more often, having a somewhat more superficial sleep pattern, it may be that the mother is closer, it may be "the container", as breast babies learn best to coordinate the process of sucking, breathing and swallowing (better developing their swallowing and breathing structures), and it can be all at once.
In Babies and moreColecho yes, but for sure: avoid the risk of suffocation5. Put the baby to sleep on his back
According to current studies, putting the baby to sleep on his side is five or more times safer than putting him to sleep on his stomach, and that is why in many hospitals they recommend it that way. However, sleeping on your back is twice as safe as sleeping on your side (and consequently, ten times safer than sleeping on your stomach).
The head should be facing to the side to avoid dangers in case of regurgitation and the position should be alternated so that deformities (plagiocephaly) do not occur.
This recommends doing both at night and during nap, as it is sometimes recommended that they sleep on their stomachs to alternate the position in which the head rests on the mattress. However, it is better not to risk and avoid such pressure at other times of the day: do not abuse the hammock, the stroller, or all the surfaces on which you rest for the day when you are awake.
Many parents put their children to sleep on their stomachs because they sleep better. This usually happens in cases where when sleeping on your back you get easily scared with some involuntary movement of your own and often wake up. In these cases it is advisable to wrap the baby with a light shawl or blanket, but only the upper extremities, as if it were a worm in its cocoon. If this were too hot, then it is better not to do so.
6. The mattress be firm
Soft mattresses allow the baby to be more "wrapped" and have more risk of suffocation. The bottom sabanita must be tight, without wrinkles.
7. Do not let him sleep too long in the car seat
In young babies who sleep in the car, the head tends to fall forward, touching the chin with the chest, and they do not have enough strength to breathe properly. In this situation there is a risk that what we know as postural asphyxiation will happen.
8. Do not give cereal before nap or before bedtime
When babies eat cereals the food is thicker and, if they eat it well, in many cases it produces in children a deeper sleep than is normal for an average baby. It doesn't always happen, and there are babies who even sleep worse because it is a heavier digestion, but if the baby is one of those whose cereals make them sleep more deeply, the risk of SMSL increasesPrecisely because of this, because a baby has to have a lighter sleep that does not put his health at risk (the deeper a person sleeps, the greater the risk of respiratory problems because the more difficult it is to recover breathing in case of problems ... that's why older people naturally sleep less hours and have a less deep sleep than when they were young).
9. Do not use the "roll over" methods
A baby who sleeps on his back cannot turn upside down on his own, so roll-over methods are unnecessary. In addition, they have been linked to 12 cases of child death and the FDA issued a statement notifying them in 2010.
10. Do not use protectors, stuffed animals, cushions or blankets in the crib
Similarly, the crib should be as Spartan as possible. Protectors increase the danger of choking the baby and entrapment. The stuffed animals are dangerous because of the risk of suffocation and the cushions and blankets have the same problem: they are soft, they can move and can end up on the baby's head.
Ideally, baby sleep alone with pajamas, without covering up, having a pleasant room temperature. If this is not possible, if only with the pajamas it could be too cold, you can use a sleeping bag that covers the body but never the head (and in which the baby can not slide down, in) or clothes bed placed very low, so that the baby sleeps at the foot of the crib, with enough bedding to cover only the body (as the baby grows, we put the sheet, blanket or comforter above, towards the head, adapting to the size of your body).
11. Prevent the baby from getting too hot
It is more common for them to pass heat than cold, because the fear of being cold leads us to shelter them, sometimes too much. If we cover them too much they can breathe more deeply, get exhausted in the effort and suffer a heat stroke.
12. Do not sleep with the baby on the couch
Sleep with the baby on the couch exponentially increases the risk of sudden death of the baby, as much as increase it by about 18 times (We could say that if under normal conditions the risk of SIDS is 1 for every 2000 children, sleeping with the baby on the sofa makes the risk 1 for every 111 children).
In Babies and more Breastfeeding for at least two months would help reduce the risk of sudden death by half13. Give him a pacifier to sleep with him
In the case of breastfed children it is less relevant, because they tend to go breastfeeding at night, but in those who take a bottle yes. The pacifier has been protected by the SMSL because the baby seems not to sleep so deeply with him, when doing suction every so often. It is necessary to know with certainty in which cases it protects better and in which cases it does not, because there are studies that relate this benefit only to the schoolboy (if he sleeps with the parents and has a pacifier).
When the baby is breastfed, avoid giving him a pacifier in the first month of life, as it could cause confusion in the way of sucking and consequently problems with breastfeeding.
14. Do not smoke near the baby, or sleep with him if he smokes
Tobacco, when a smoker sleeps with the baby, increases up to 9 times the risk of sudden death, which is also very much. This happens until 3 months of life, since the risk is much lower thereafter. Smoking near him, or in places where the baby will later be (smoking when not in the dining room, for example), also increases the risk of SIDS, in addition to the risk of respiratory infections.
15. Sleep with the baby in the same room
Putting the baby to sleep outside the parents' room increases the risk of sudden death until six months of age and therefore it is recommended not to do so. The baby I should sleep in the parents room, either in a crib or bassinet, or in a colecho crib, because it benefits the baby's respiratory and cardiac pattern. It can also be in the same bed of the parents, as UNICEF suggests, as long as all the necessary measures are carried out to carry out a safe school.
As of 3 months, in fact, it is recommended to even share the bed of the parents (you can continue in the cot crib), because the risk of sudden death of babies over 3 months who are with their parents is 10 times less than those who sleep separately.
16. Avoid products and inventions that promise to reduce the risk of sudden death
They sell mattresses, cushions, positioners and various artifacts (such as breathing monitors) to prevent the risk of sudden death whose effectiveness is not proven and that they can offer parents a false sense of security, something like "now that I have bought this, the risk is minimal." Given the risk of avoiding other measures, it is advisable not to experiment with these products and follow the previous advice.
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In Babies and more | What is sudden infant death syndrome? In countries where babies have always slept with their parents they hardly know what sudden death is, How to reduce the risk of sudden infant death
