7 Facts to Know About SIDS
Sudden Infant Death Syndrome or SIDS is the sudden, shocking and completely unexpected death of an apparently healthy infant. The risk of your baby dying of SIDS is very low and according to the American Academy of Pediatrics it is only one in 1500 infants that are at risk. This number too is getting smaller with their numerous campaigns such as back to sleep campaign and increased awareness among parents. You need not be too worried about your infant dying of SIDS as it is quite rare and here are some facts you should know about SIDS and if you are a new parent with no experience with infants.
1. The risk group
Infants between two to four months are more susceptible to SIDS than infants who are older. Second hand smoke poor pre-natal care of the mother, the mother smoking during pregnancy and a birth before the mother was 20 is also other risk factors for babies dying of SIDS.
2. Premature babies also have a high risk of dying of SIDS
Not only premature babies, but babies with a very low birth weight can also die of SIDS.
3. SIDS is not a contagious disease
SIDS is not a disease and cannot be caught by a bacteria or a virus. Other illnesses and immunizations are also not responsible for a baby dying of SIDS.
4. Although one actual cause has not been established, there are a lot of theories about the possible causes of SIDS
One theory claims that babies with lower levels of serotonin in their brain stem can dies of SIDS. Babies falling asleep on their stomach and getting tangled up in their sheets are also other reasons. One more theory suggests that SIDS death can happen if there is an undetected defect in the baby’s heart.
