Can You Prevent Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)?
Definition
What is SIDS?
There is a condition that allows babies to experience sudden death.
KThis sudden death in newborns is known by name sudden infant death syndrome (sudden infant death syndrome) or commonly abbreviated as SIDS.
Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) is the sudden death of a healthy baby while sleeping.
This condition occurs more frequently in winter and cannot be predicted or prevented.
Most of these syndromes occur in babies under 1 year of age.
This syndrome is more common in boys than girls.
Quoting from Kids Health, SIDS often occurs when babies sleep on their side or on their stomach.
So, it is very important to check the sleeping position of the baby remains supine to avoid sudden death.
Signs and symptoms
What are the signs and symptoms of sudden infant death syndrome?
Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) is a condition that has no symptoms or signs.
The baby does not appear to be suffering or sick. They don’t cry either.
Breathing problems or minor stomach problems may occur in the weeks before this syndrome occurs.
There may be signs and symptoms not listed above. If you have concerns about a particular symptom, consult your doctor.
When should I see a doctor?
There are several conditions that need to be monitored in order to avoid sudden death in babies.
For example, if the baby is born prematurely, is underweight and underweight, or has breathing problems.
The various factors above are conditions that should be consulted by a doctor to avoid SIDS.
Cause
What causes SIDS?
SIDS is a condition that is the leading cause of death in infants aged 30 days after birth.
However, the exact cause of SIDS is still not known with certainty. This condition may occur due to various factors.
Delay in baby development
Quoting from Medicine Net, SIDS is a condition caused by a delay or abnormality in the development of the baby in terms of nerve cells in the brain that are important for normal heart and lung function.
Research on the brains of babies who have died from SIDS has shown that there is a delay in the development and function of some of the serotonin-binding nerve pathways in the brain.
These neural pathways are thought to be important for regulating breathing, heart rate, and blood pressure response upon awakening from sleep.
This developmental disorder has a negative impact when the baby sleeps. Normal babies will wake up when something disturbs him during sleep.
For example, if there is something blocking his airway while sleeping, the baby will automatically move his body parts to a more comfortable place or the baby will wake up.
However, in infants with the disorder, the reflexes that control breathing and waking up from sleep are impaired.
This makes the baby unable to solve the problem during sleep.
This is a potential cause of SIDS in babies.
Low birth weight babies
Babies are born with low body weight (LBW) usually occurs in babies born prematurely or in twins.
Babies with this condition tend to have immature brains, so babies have less control over their breathing and heart rate.
This is a condition that has the potential for babies to experience SIDS.
Baby sleeping position
Babies who sleep on their stomach or sleep on their side tend to have difficulty breathing.
When the baby is in the prone position, the movement of air in the mouth is disturbed due to a narrowing of the airway. This is one of the conditions that causes SIDS.
This causes the baby to inhale the carbon dioxide that he just exhaled, so that the oxygen level in the baby’s body becomes less, and eventually the baby can die.
Besides,objects that are on the mattress when the baby sleeps, such as pillowsBlankets, dolls, or toys can also cover the baby’s mouth and nose, causing disruption of the baby’s breathing while sleeping.
Hyperthermia (overheating)
SIDS is a condition of sudden death in infants with various risk factors. One of them is clothes and baby equipment that are too thick and closed.
In addition, hot room temperature can increase the baby’s metabolism, so that the baby can lose control of breathing.
However, heat as a cause of SIDS is not well explained.
Is this a factor that can actually cause SIDS or is it just a factor describing the use of clothing or blankets that obstructs the baby’s breathing.
Risk factors
What increases the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS)?
Certain factors that increase your risk of developing sudden infant death syndrome include:
- Sleep on the tummy position, especially for babies who are covered with too many blankets
- Premature, low birth weight, and multiple births are at greater risk
- Teenage mothers, smoke, and drink and use drugs during pregnancy
Even though they do not have the risk factors above, parents still need to be vigilant because sudden death in infants (SIDS) is a condition that can happen to anyone.
Prevention
What can be done to prevent SIDS?
SIDS is spontaneous and sudden, so there is no medication or treatment that can help for this condition.
However, parents can take preventive steps to reduce the risk of or SIDS in babies.
Here are some precautions parents can take:
Place the baby on his back while sleeping
This is a position that will not block the baby’s airway, so that the baby does not experience respiratory distress during sleep through SIDS.
Choose a supine position rather than a prone position whenever the baby is sleeping
Keep away from various objects on the mattress
Do not put various objects on the child’s bed. Keep the baby away from pillows, blankets, dolls, toys, or other things while the baby is sleeping.
These are objects that can block the mouth and nose of the baby as an airway, so the baby can experience shortness of breath during sleep even to SIDS.
Sleep the baby with the mother
If you can, it’s best if your baby sleeps alone in a bed close to you.
When babies sleep in the same bed as their parents, this can limit the space for the baby to move and may also interfere with the baby’s breathing.
Avoid cigarette smoke
Babies born to mothers who smoke and die from SIDS occur three times more often than babies born to nonsmoking mothers.
Smoking while pregnant is a major risk factor for SIDS, and the cigarette smoke that babies inhale can also increase the incidence of SIDS in babies.
Give breast milk
Give breast milk to the baby, if the mother’s condition allows. Breastfeeding has been shown to reduce the risk of SIDS in babies by 50 percent.
Breast milk can protect babies from infectious diseases that can increase the risk of SIDS.
In addition, you should not drink alcohol while you are breastfeeding as alcohol can increase your baby’s risk of developing SIDS.
Complete immunization
Give your baby the complete immunizations according to the vaccine schedule. Babies who receive the recommended immunizations have a 50 percent lower risk of SIDS than babies who do not receive complete immunizations.
Keep the baby from overheating
It’s best to always keep your baby’s room temperature, avoid wearing clothes that are too thick or blankets if the baby is overheated, and wear comfortable nightgowns when the baby sleeps.
Do not give honey to babies under 1 year of age
Avoid givinghoney in babies under 1 year of age. Honey can cause babies to develop botulism.
Botulism and bacteria is something that could be linked to the incidence of SIDS in infants.
Hello Health Group does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.
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