In the United States, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) remains the leading cause of death of infants between the ages of one month and one year. SIDS is defined as the:

"sudden death of an infant under one year of age which remains unexplained after a thorough case investigation, including performance of a complete autopsy, examination of the death scene, and review of the clinical history." (Willinger et al., 1991)

The diagnosis of SIDS is not easy. Essentially, SIDS is diagnosed as the cause of death only after all other possibilities have been excluded. Most deaths occur by the end of the sixth month of age with the highest risk between two and four months of age. A death from SIDS occurs quickly and silently with no apparent signs of suffering from the infant; however, the effect on the family that is left with wondering what they could have done to prevent this tragedy may be devastating. In addition, the legal system, which is involved with the investigation of the baby's death, accentuates the stress and guilt felt by the baby's family or caregivers.

Recently, several procedures have been shown to be helpful in reducing the risk of SIDS:

* Place your baby on his or her back to sleep. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that healthy infants sleep on their backs or sides. They should not sleep on their stomach, but they may be placed on their stomach during waking hours while they are being watched.

* Place your baby on a firm mattress. Pillows, waterbeds, sheepskins, and other soft items may trap the air while the baby is sleeping, or the baby may get his or her nose or mouth buried in soft bedding. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has issued advisories against placing infants on beanbag cushions, sheepskins, foam pads, foam sofa cushions, adult pillows, and comforters.

* Do not smoke around the baby or while you are pregnant. Smoking during pregnancy has long been associated with other birth defects such as low birth rate, but smoking during and after a pregnancy may triple the baby's risk of SIDS. Exposure to smoke after birth may double the baby's risk of SIDS.

* Help your baby regulate his or her temperature. Overheating in the baby, which may be associated with too much clothing, an overheated room, or heavy bedding, may increase the risk of SIDS. Signs of overheating include damp hair, sweating, heat rash, rapid breathing, restlessness, or even fever. In order to help your baby regulate his or her temperature, try to maintain a consistent indoor climate of between 68 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Try not to overdress your baby; dress the baby in the same number of layers as you would wear in the same temperature.

* Try to breast-feed your baby. Breast-feeding may reduce the likelihood of SIDS as well as other infections or respiratory illnesses.

Other factors that may be related to SIDS are the colder winter months, a lower maternal age, and the sex of the baby (boys are at a greater risk). There appears to be a higher incidence of SIDS in low birth weight and premature babies.

It is important for families to understand that reducing the risk factors for SIDS will probably decrease the chances of their baby being affected, but it will not eliminate the possibility. A parent or caregiver may be doing everything right and still be affected by this tragedy. For more information and family support, including current research, questions and answers, and a SIDS "Chat with Others," we include the following organizations and Web sites.

The Family Village
Waisman Center
University of Wisconsin--Madison
1500 Highland Ave.
Madison, WI 53705-2280
Web site: http://www.familyvillage.wisc.edu/lib_sids.htm#Articles

National SIDS Resource Center
2070 Chain Bridge Rd., Suite 450
Vienna, VA 22182
Telephone: 703-821-8955
Web site: http://www.circsol.com/SIDS/

The Canadian Foundation for the Study of Infant Deaths
586 Eglingon Ave. E., Suite 308
Toronto, ON, Canada M4P1P2
Telephone:
416-488-3260
800-END-SIDS

Prepared for Parent News by Anne S. Robertson

Sources:

Reducing the risks of SIDS: Some steps parents can take. (1996, November 29). Sudden Infant Death Syndrome Network. [On-line]. Available Internet: http://sids-network.org/risk.htm

Schaaf, Rachelle V. (1996, November). Soft bedding is linked to SIDS. PARENTS, p. 47.

Willinger, M., James, L.S., & Catz, C. (1991, November). Defining the Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS): Deliberations of an expert panel convened by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. Pediatric Pathology, pp. 677-684.