SIDS Awareness: Recognizing the Silent Danger

It’s every caregiver’s worst nightmare, something happening to their child. October is Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) awareness month. Referred to by some as “crib death,” it is the sudden unexplained death of an infant younger than one-year-old. Oftentimes, the child is found in the crib.

Cuyuna Regional Medical Center Pediatrician Wendi Johnson, MD, FAAP, stressed that SIDS isn’t just of concern to parents, but also medical providers. “We can’t predict or prevent it. It is likely a group of disorders or a condition that needs certain factors to be in place for it to affect the infant. Until we understand it fully, we can’t be confident we can prevent it.”

While SIDS can happen anytime within the first year of life, the majority of deaths occur when babies are between one month and four months old. Infants with a higher risk are often premature babies, boys, African American, or American Indian/Alaska Native.

“As a Pediatrician, I don’t specifically speak to parents about SIDS unless they ask. I talk about having the baby sleep on its back and not having crib bumpers or blankets in the crib. If they ask why, then I talk about how tummy sleeping and bedding can increase the risk of SIDS,” explained Johnson.

Some steps caregivers can take to reduce the risk of SIDS:

• Have your baby sleep in your room for at least the first six months. Your baby should sleep close to you but on a separate surface designed for infants, such as a crib or bassinet.
• Place your baby on its back to sleep, even for short naps. “Tummy time” is when babies are awake, and someone is watching.
• Use a firm sleep surface, such as a crib mattress with a fitted sheet.
• Keep soft objects and loose bedding away from your baby’s sleep area.
• Breastfeed your baby.
• Keep the room at a comfortable temperature for an adult to ensure that your baby doesn’t get too hot.
• Don’t smoke during pregnancy or allow anyone to smoke near your baby.

If you don’t have a family medicine provider or pediatrician for your child, you can easily schedule one at our Crosby, Crosby Super One, Baxter, Breezy Point, or Longville clinics.

Source: MedlinePlus, NIH: National Institute of Child Health and Human Development