MEDICAL SURFARI: SIDS DEATHS DECREASING

Every year there are thousands of parents who are grief stricken by the sudden death of an infant child. It is difficult to imagine the helpless feeling of loss as a happy, beautiful, living part of one's self has suddenly been snatched away forever.

Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), sometimes known as crib death, is the sudden and unexpected death of an apparently healthy infant, whose death remains unexplained after careful post mortem investigation. SIDS is a major cause of death in babies from one month to one year of age, and most of these occur between one and four months of age. SIDS is more common in baby boys and most deaths occur during the fall, winter and early spring months.

SIDS is sudden and unpredictable and in most cases the baby has been healthy. Death occurs quickly and usually during sleep. SIDS is a classification that is used to describe a deceased infant; it is not a disease, nor can it be a diagnosis for a living baby.

The number of SIDS deaths continues to decrease at a steady rate. The United States annual SIDS rate is now less than half the rate seen in the 1980's. This rate has substantially declined during the 1990's and many researchers believe that this is largely due to the effect of infant positioning for sleep.

Although researchers caution that they cannot prove a cause-and-effect relationship, SIDS rates dropped substantially the same time period that more mothers reported turning their babies on their backs to sleep.

Although doctors, nurses and researchers don't know what causes SIDS, they have determined that most babies should sleep on their back, as there are fewer sudden infant deaths in this position than when babies sleep on their tummy. The American Academy of Pediatrics and the National Institutes For Child Health and Human Development also support these findings and recommend that all healthy infants be placed on their back when sleeping.

Your baby can be placed on his or her tummy during awake hours as this is good for your baby to develop strong neck, back and head control.

There are other things that parents can do to help reduce the risk of SIDS. Be certain that your baby sleeps on a firm mattress or other firm surface without fluffy blankets or comforters under the baby.

When your baby is very young, avoid placing stuffed toys, pillows or sheepskin in the crib as some babies have smothered with these soft materials.

Keep your baby comfortable and warm, but not too warm. Keep the temperature in your baby's room in a range that feels comfortable to you. Create a smoke-free environment for your baby as babies and young children exposed to smoke have more colds and other diseases and also have an increased risk of SIDS.

Keep appointments for checkups and immunizations. If your baby seems sick, call your physician right away. Good prenatal care can also help reduce the risk of SIDS. The risk of SIDS is much higher for babies whose mothers smoked or used alcohol during pregnancy unless prescribed by a doctor. Breast-feeding bolsters your baby's immune system early and helps to keep your baby healthy.

Remember that far and away most babies are born healthy and remain that way. If you have any questions about your baby's sleep position, talk to your doctor or nurse. Most of all, enjoy, love and cherish your baby!

World Wide Web Resources

American Academy of Pediatrics

www.aap.org/new/sids/reduceth.htm

This site provides a web page called "Reduce the Risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)".

The American SIDS Institute www.sids.org/

The American SIDS Institute provides research information, clinical services, family support and professional and community education.

Dr. Scott Gibbs is a Cape Girardeau neurosurgeon and editor-in-chief of Mosby's Medical Surfari. You may e-mail questions to him at drgibbs@semissourian.com or write in care of the Southeast Missourian, P.O. Box 699, Cape Girardeau, Mo., 63701.