FAQs About SIDS
SIDS
What is SIDS?
Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) is the sudden, unexplained death of an infant. SIDS occurs between the ages of 1 month and 1 year. It is also known as “crib death”. Most SIDS deaths occur when babies are between two months and four months.
Although doctors do not yet understand what causes it, they have found risk factors that increase the risk of SIDS.
Infants who die of sudden infant death syndrome have abnormalities in the brainstem. This may put children with this abnormality at higher risk for SIDS. Click on the following link for more information.
National Institutes of Health— http://www.nichd.nih.gov/news/releases/sids_serotonin.cfm?from=sids
What Else Can be Done to Prevent SIDS?
Research is being done all the time to learn more about what causes SIDS. As more is known then more can be done to prevent it. Although doctors do not yet understand what causes it, they have found that certain risk factors increase the risk of SIDS. Parents who are careful to avoid the risk factors for SIDS have a lower chance that their baby will die from it.
Research now shows that infants who die of sudden infant death syndrome have abnormalities in the brainstem. This may put children with this abnormality at higher risk for SIDS. Click on the following link for more information.
National Institutes of Health— http://www.nichd.nih.gov/news/releases/sids_serotonin.cfm?from=sids
What are the Risk Factors for SIDS?
These are available most weekdays and are scheduled by appointment. It takes about 30 minutes to check for recalls, install the seat, make sure your child fits correctly, and send you safely on your way.
Links About SIDS
American Academy of Pediatrics—http://www.healthychildcare.org/Revised%20SIDS.pdf
American Academy of Pediatrics—http://www.healthychildcare.org/section_SIDS.cfm
American SIDS Institute—http://sids.org/nfeaturedques.htm
Center for Disease Control and Prevention—http://www.cdc.gov/SIDS/riskfactors.htm
First Candle SIDS Alliance—http://www.firstcandle.org/expectantparents/exp_reduce_qa.html
Kids Health—http://kidshealth.org/parent/general/sleep/sids.html
National Institutes of Health— http://www.nichd.nih.gov/health/topics/Sudden_Infant_Death_Syndrome.cfm
MedlinePlus—http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/suddeninfantdeathsyndrome.html
National SIDS/Infant Death Resource Center—http://www.sidscenter.org/
