Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) is the unexpected death of a baby with no underlying cause. A study found that babies who die of SIDS have an abnormality that impairs the brain’s ability to receive signals if the body is deficient in oxygen. To reduce the risk, babies should sleep on their back, have a firm mattress, and avoid co-sleeping with adults who are heavy sleepers. Limiting exposure to smoke and using a pacifier may also reduce the risk.
Crib death, also called sudden infant death syndrome or SIDS, is a term that describes the death of a baby that occurs unexpectedly with no underlying cause. When an infant dies as a result of cot death, the autopsy does not reveal any underlying disease or disorder that may have caused the death. While it is not possible to prevent SIDS entirely, it is possible to reduce the likelihood considerably by understanding and eliminating the risk factors involved.
SIDS has long been a tragic and mysterious disease, due to the complete absence of any known cause of sudden infant death. The syndrome has been linked to causes such as vitamin C deficiency, inner ear damage, and anemia. The strongest evidence for an underlying cause of SIDS comes from a study of babies who died this way. The study compared the brains of babies who died of SIDS and babies who died of other causes.
The study findings suggest that babies who die of SIDS have an abnormality that prevents the brain from receiving signals if the body is deficient in oxygen. The brains of babies who die by cot death don’t properly use serotonin, a brain chemical that regulates breathing and sleep, as well as mood and body temperature. Because of this anomaly, a baby’s risk of suffocation increases when exposed to risk factors for crib death syndrome.
Blood carbon dioxide levels can rise during sleep for many reasons. The normal reaction for an individual in this case is to simply wake up and change position to help breathing. This is an automatic reaction for most people. In infants who die of cot death, however, this reflex is impaired.
It is not possible to completely eliminate the risk of SIDS, nor is it possible to identify whether a baby is at risk due to a serotonin defect. This means that it is important to minimize risk factors for all children, especially those younger than one year of age. There are several simple ways you can minimize the risks of cot death.
One of the simplest and most effective ways to reduce the risk is to make sure your baby always sleeps on their back, rather than their side or stomach. This sleeping position ensures that the baby’s airways remain open and prevents the bed from covering the baby’s mouth and nose. A firm, dry, clean mattress is best, with no tears in the cover or sagging that could compromise the airways. Blankets and sheets must be tightly tucked over the child so that they cannot come loose and cover his face. Additionally, experts suggest that a child should always sleep in their own bed, rather than co-sleeping with an adult, particularly when the adult is a heavy sleeper.
SIDS risk is also reduced if a woman does not smoke and limits her exposure to secondhand smoke during pregnancy. Also, the risk is reduced if the child’s exposure to secondhand smoke is minimized. Some studies suggest that breastfeeding reduces the risks, and it has also been suggested that using a pacifier to sleep in reduces the chance of sudden infant death.
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