Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) is the sudden, unexplained death of babies under one year of age. It is thought to occur usually at night, during sleep. It is thought that more than one factor plays a role in the development of SIDS. There are many risk factors in the development of SIDS depending on the parents, the baby and the environment. The baby's stomach sleeping position, the bed surface being soft, blankets, pillows, soft objects, cushions, covering the head or face with a blanket during sleep, bed sharing, exposure of the room or the baby to excessive heat, male gender, premature or low birth weight babies and siblings or SIDS in twins is among the risk factors.
To ensure airway patency, babies should sleep in the parent's bedroom on a hard bed other than the parent's bed, in a supine position up to the age of one, and on a hard, flat surface covered with a thin elastic sheet. They should be protected from extreme heat, breastfeeding should be supported, and the use of pacifiers is recommended for babies between the ages of 1 month and 1 year. In addition, the mother should stay away from tobacco products, alcohol and substance use starting from the pregnancy period.
How to Prevent?
Sleeping position: Babies should be laid on their back to ensure airway patency. The parents should be allowed to sleep in the bedroom, on a firm bed other than the parent's bed, in the supine position until the baby is one year old or until the baby can roll over from the supine position on his own without assistance.
Sleeping surface: It should be flat and medium hard. The sheets should be taut and completely cover the mattress. Sheets should be chosen that will allow the sheet to come off. There should be no toys, cables, feeding bottles or anything else in the bed. Products such as car seats or strollers should not be used as sleeping areas. The bed should not be placed at a point where anything may fall on it, such as a painting, a picture, etc.
Room temperature: The risk of SIDS increases in an extremely hot environment. Therefore, room temperature should be kept at 23-24 C. The baby should be dressed according to the room temperature.
Avoid bed sharing: The baby should sleep in the same room with the parents in the first year of life. However, parents should never share the same bed with the baby. Studies show that the most important risk factor is bed sharing.
Breastfeeding: We know that the risk of sudden infant death syndrome is reduced by 50% in breastfed babies. If you pay attention, considering that the baby needs to be fed at least every 3 hours in the first 3 months, and every 5 hours at the latest in the second 3 months, that is, between the 3rd and 6th months, this also means that babies are contacted this frequently. This makes it easier to determine whether there is any risk in the child.
Pacifier: Pacifier use should be provided after the baby's nutrition and weight gain are guaranteed, that is, the stable flow of breast milk should be ensured in the first month and then the baby should be given a pacifier. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends pacifiers not to provide false satiety, but to ensure that babies sleep calmly and peacefully after taking breast milk and being full, and to protect them from the risk of sudden infant death syndrome. Emamzik should be tied to a rope or cord. By the way, necklaces, chokers, etc. should never be hung around the baby's neck. These are especially dangerous devices that can cause the baby to suffocate. There should be nothing on the baby's body other than nicely dressed clothes.
Avoiding Alcohol, Tobacco and Drug Use: It is clearly known that alcohol, tobacco and drug use during pregnancy causes developmental disorders in the baby and increases the risk of sudden infant death syndrome after birth. Therefore, these habits should definitely be abandoned starting from pregnancy (in fact, they should not be used at any time in life).