14 DAY TRIAL // The Sudden Infant Death Syndrome is still one of America's most worrying problems today. The infant mortality rate, although decreasing by almost 50 percent since the 1990s, is still high, and SIDS occurs frequently. Parents and doctors are desperately trying to determine what exactly causes the syndrome, but solid medical explanations are still missing, even after autopsies and other post-mortem examinations. Below are a few words of advice that can significantly decrease the risk of your infant getting SIDS.
First and foremost, experts agree that putting the babies to sleep on their back is the most important concern for parents. If they sleep on their tummy, it's possible their breathing paths will become obstructed or they'll keep breathing the same air they exhaled. Both scenarios lead to suffocation in a short period of time. Though it may seem uncomfortable to some adults, sleeping on their back is beneficiary to small children.
Secondly, never place soft and thick sheets, blankets or quilts in the cradle. This increases the chance of the baby suffocating or overheating, both of which are fatal. Instead, use firm, certified, infant mattresses, available at all baby shops. They will provide your child with an adequate sleeping surface and will guarantee a comfortable sleep.
Thirdly, new studies by Kaiser Permanente have linked the presence of a fan in the baby’s room to a decrease of over 72 percent in SIDS cases. Opening a window in their room reduces the risk by more than 36 percent. The idea is to allow air to circulate throughout the room and not to allow infants sleeping in a position that would make them prone to breathing the air they exhale. Researchers at Kaiser emphasized their results by showing a statistic they calculated after observing over 10 counties in California and Los Angeles.
Until doctors come up with an explanation for what actually causes SIDS, it's up to the parents and other caregivers to make sure they take all the precautions they can to ensure the safety of their babies. These pieces of advice are just the tip of the iceberg, but they offer a solid first step for all the parents out there.