Information on Sudden Infant Death Syndrome

SIDS is the sudden death of an infant under one year
of age that remains unexplained after a thorough
investigation, including a complete autopsy, examination
of death scene,and review of the clinical history.
Who is a risk?

ANY BABY CAN DIE OF SIDS. It happens all over the
world,and does NOT pass any social, economic, ethnic,
or racial group. However age is a factor. About 70% of
SIDS victims die bafore four months of age. Another 20%
before six months of age. Through studies race has
through studies to be a factor.(For example: in the
U.S. the overall SIDS rate for African American infants
is about two times higher than that of white infants.
Gender also matters. Males are 50% more likely to die
of SIDS than females.
How does SIDS happen?

Most SIDS victims appear to be perfectly healthy before
being put down for a nap or the night. AT MOST, there
may be signs of a slight cold. Some time later, may it be
15 minutes or what appears to be a long night's sleep,
the baby is found dead. There are typically NO telltale
sound or indication of a struggle.Babies have been known
to die in a parents arm's whole being rocked, even when
that parent is a physician.

SIDS can strike with a fury that confuses even medical
experts. In many cases, babies seem almost determined
to die and can not be revived, even when some one immediately
and correctly begins CPR. A story in the book "the SIDS
survival guide" (written by Joani Nelson Horchler and
Robin Rice Morris) tells the story of a baby who suddenly
arched back in her father's arms and started turning gray.
Her father immediately began CPR and paramedics arrived
within minutes, yet she could not be revived.

The good news is that SIDS decreased 30% between 1993
and 1995! This dramatic drop is thought to have resulted
mainly from the decrease in the prevalance of prone sleeping
from 70% in 1992 to 24% in 1996. The bad news is that
SIDS still claims the lives of about 4,000 infants
(about 1 of every 1,000) each year in the U.S.A. alone.
Moreover, the drop in the SIDS rate of black infants has lagged
behind that of whites, it dropped 10.4% for black and
16.7% for whites between 1993 and 1995.

SIDS rates are reliable only for about two dozen industrialized
countries, says the National Center for Health Statistics,
but in most of these countries the rates are not radically
different from those in the U.S., ranging from a low 1
in 1,000 to a high 2.5 in 1,000.

Sids is still the leading cause of death of all infants
between the ages of 1 week and 1 year. More American
children die of SIDS each year than all those who die
of cancer, luekemia, heart disease, cystic fibrosis,
and child abuse combined.

What causes SIDS?

There are more than 400 theries about what causes SIDS.
One of the two major schools of thought is that infants
are vulnerable at certain phases of dvelopment.
In The Discovery on Sudden infant Death Syndrome
Dr. Abraham B. Berman theorizes that SIDS is a developmental
phenomon stemming from a failure in the normal maturation
of the nervous systemcontrol center. Dr. Bergman does
not believe that any particular baby has a fixed abnormality
that destines it for SIDS. Rather, he likens SIDS to
a "nuclear explosion where a 'critical mass' must be attained
for the event to occur."

It is believed by many doctors that SIDS in part is an
abnormal event that happens to a normal baby. One way
to put it (as many doctors studying SIDS do) is "Virtually
all of brain growth occurs in the first two years of
life, and the growth rate in the forst six months is the
most rapid of any in life. During the time when these
important control centers sre in a period of transition,
abnormal messages might come down to the organs used
in resperation, one which is to 'close off' rather than
to 'open up'. Normally, at the end of a breath, the throat
collapses or closes, then opens up prior to a new breath
being taken. But if the wrong message comes down from
the brain, the throat may stay closed instead of opening.
That wrong message isn't necessarily a result of this baby
being abnormal, but occurs in a normal baby whose brain
is growing at a tremendously rapid rate.'

The other major(and growing) school of thought is that
SIDS babies are not healthy before birth and are predisposed
to SIDS because of some subtle problems beginning in the
fetal period.

Studies have confirmed that many SIDS victims have abnormalities
in there brain stems that help explain apnea-related
and sleep arousal difficulties.Specifically, doctors have
observed decreased development of a small area in the brain
stem that is thought to be very important for arousal
responsiveness from sleep. In another subset of SIDS
victims, they have observed diminished maturation of
individual mervous tissue.

Is SIDS preventable or avoidable?

SIDS is considered unpreventable and unpredictable because
there no sure ways to aviod it. In most cases which babies
die of SIDS, the mother and baby have few or no apparent
risk factors. Because SIDS happens to mostly low risk
babies, there are few things a parent can to do to protect
there babies from SIDS.

Are there any steps that I can take that May prevent SIDS?

There are steps that can be taken but none totally prevent
the risk of SIDS nor do they prevent SIDS from happening.
Some of them are:

• Place the infant to sleep on there back
• Pregnant mothers should avoid, coming in contact with cigerette
  smoke, drinking alcohol,and using any kind of drugs, poor or belated
  pre-natal care, low weight gain, anemia, sexually transmitted diseases,
  and urinary track infections.
• Breast feed your baby.
• Do NOT place a baby to sleep on there side or stomache.

Recent studies have shown conclusively that DPT immunizations
in early infancy doesn't increas the risk of SIDS.
Indeed, the SIDS rate is actually lower in groups of
infants who have been properly immunized.

What SIDS Is and What SIDS Is Not

SIDS IS

• the major cause of death in infants from one month
  to one year of age.
• Sudden and Silent-infants are seemingly healthy
• Currently, unpredictable and unpreventable
• A death that occurs quickly, often associated with
  sleep and no signs of suffering.
• Determined only after an autopsy,an examination of
  the death scence, and a review of clinical history.
• Designated as a diagnosis of exclusion.
• A recognised medical disorder.
• An infant death that leaves unanswered questions,
  causing intense grief for parents and family.

  SIDS IS NOT

  • Caused by vomitting or choking, or minor illnesses
    such as colds or infections.
    
  • Caused by by immunizations
  • Contagious
  • Caused By CHILD ABUSE.
  • The cause of every unexpected infant death

    THANK YOU FOR STOPPING BY REMEMBER ALL YOU HAVE LEARNED HERE
    AND LET ALL NEW PARENTS KNOW!!!!!!!!!!!!! Jean BECCA's mommy

    RESOURCES/SUPPORT American SIDS Institute.................................................................... (800) 232-7437 National Center for the Prevention of SIDS........................................ (800) 638-7437 National SIDS Foundation................................................................. (800) 221-SIDS [local] SHARE.................................................................................. (209) 449-5210