After your baby is born: Breastfeed your baby if possible–breastfeeding is best for your baby Keep your home smoke-free Spend time holding, loving and cuddling your baby Check to be sure your baby’s car seat is properly secured in the back seat Keep all your well-baby checkups For more information, check out these resources and talk with your healthcare provider Putting your baby in a safe sleep environment helps reduce Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) SIDS is the sudden death of a baby from unknown causes before the baby is one year old The exact cause of SIDS is not known, but there are some simple actions you can take to reduce the risk of SIDS Place babies on their BACKS to sleep for naps and at night Make sure no one smokes in your home or around your baby Keep soft blankets, toys, bumper pads and pillows away from babies’ sleeping space Don’t wrap the baby with lots of blankets and clothes Don’t put the baby to sleep on soft surfaces such as a couch, pillow, waterbed, recliner, or beanbag chairs
Share this information with everyone who cares for your baby Safe Sleeping with your Baby Sleeping near your baby is helpful for bonding, maintaining close contact and to aid in breastfeeding. You may choose to place the crib next or close to your bed and/or to share your bed with your baby. DO NOT sleep with your baby if you: smoke or drink alcohol take medications which could make you sleepy are very tired or do not wake up easily sleep on a soft surface like a waterbed or couch share your bed with other children or pets sleep in a bed that has a headboard, footboard, railings or is placed against a wall (instead, place a firm mattress on the floor to prevent the baby from becoming trapped or falling) For other infant/child safety & safe sleep resources, click here Category: Breastfeeding, Families, Parents/Caregivers, Uncategorized DETROIT, Oct. 11, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- In arguably one of the most progressive countries in the world, 13 babies die suddenly and unexpectedly every day.
), a Detroit based manufacturer of a revolutionary breathable crib mattresses is on a mission to lower these deaths. These sudden and unexpected deaths are typically attributed to SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome). SIDS is a cause of death (COD) given when no scientific evidence is available for a medical examiner or pathologist to make a determination. It is a diagnosis of exclusion. If there is no scientific evidence to show that an infant died from a particular disease, condition, foul play, etc., it is up to the medical examiner or pathologist to make the determination. Some will list the COD as SIDS, and others will list it as asphyxiation. To further complicate matters, there are currently no universally accepted guidelines in the examination of these infant deaths. Seven years ago, public health officials at the CDC launched a case registry to log SIDS deaths. The idea was to track deaths at the state level, monitor trends, and to gather data that could improve death-scene investigations and might ultimately help prevent future deaths.
Sadly, since 2009, this registry has only expanded from five states to 18. “The term 'sudden and unexpected infant death' (SUID) or SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome) are used to describe all such deaths, regardless of cause. Cases of SUID/SIDS that remain unexplained after a complete autopsy and review of the circumstances of death and clinical history are classified as SIDS… and accounts for 80 of such deaths [National Institutes of Health, US National Library of Medicine].” What is the cause of SIDS? The answer is regrettably unclear. “It is unclear whether SIDS occurs during sleep itself or during the many transitions between sleep and arousal that occur during the night, since such deaths are typically not witnessed. No single definition of SIDS is universally accepted, and contradictions among SIDS studies are due in part to the use of various definitions of the syndrome around the world [National Institutes of Health, US National Library of Medicine].” Since SIDS is incredibly hard to nail down as a specific cause of death, and there are many other factors at play, many medical examiners and pathologists distinguish sudden infant deaths as SIDS.
But this is not truly accurate. Unfortunately, for many people, they use the words “asphyxiation” and “suffocation” interchangeably. This also is a source of confusion. While suffocation means that the air is blocked from entering the body, asphyxiation is when a substance (in most cases carbon dioxide) interferes with the oxygenation of the tissues. Both can result in death. As a parent, the best way to keep your child safe from suffering from positional asphyxiation is to follow these simple steps: Put babies in safe sleep environments. Examples of unsafe sleeping environments can include: Keep your infant in a safe sleep position. An unsafe position would include: Prevention of positional asphyxia includes: In Australia it is suggested that, “Breathable mattresses are the best for baby cribs; There is currently only one company in the U.S. that offers a breathable crib mattress similar to those available in Australia, Secure Beginnings. There are a few other U.S. companies that claim to have products that are breathable, but we were not able to find any, with the exception of the Secure Beginnings products, that allows an infant to breathe freely with their face pressed up against them.
I was equally impressed with the Secure Beginnings’ test data that surpasses all the required crib mattress testing in the U.S. including testing supporting these mattresses do not trap carbon dioxide associated with asphyxiation deaths. You can also find peer-reviewed published medical data supporting the use of Breathable Crib Mattresses. There is no catch-all to ensure your child is not a victim of SIDS or positional asphyxiation. However, there are many ways to significantly reduce the risk. Always place your baby on their back to sleep. This includes all sleep times – nights and naps. I have been told my baby should sleep in a safe sleep environment. What should I do to make my baby’s sleep environment safe? Make sure baby sleeps only on a firm sleep surface, such as a safety approved crib mattress, bassinet, or portable crib. Do not cover your baby with a loose blanket. Instead, dress your baby in a sleeper appropriate for the room temperature. Do not place stuffed animals, crib bumpers, blankets, quilts, baby positioners or any other soft items in the crib.
Never place your baby to sleep on an adult bed, recliner, sofa, air mattress, bean bag chair, pillow, quilt, or any other soft surface. Do not sleep with your baby. Do not fall asleep with your baby in your bed or in any other place while you are holding your baby (such as on a sofa or recliner). How is bed sharing dangerous for my baby? When babies bed share, they are at higher risk for suffocation and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). Suffocation occurs when a baby is not able to breathe due to lying in a position where something is blocking oxygen from getting to the baby. This can occur from an adult or child rolling over onto the baby. It can also occur if something soft such a pillow, blanket, sheet or the mattress itself blocks the baby’s airway. I want my baby to be near me, what else should I do?Place the bassinet or crib by your bed. This way, your baby can sleep safely in their own safe sleep area and you can sleep better knowing your baby is near.