Sleeping on the back reduces the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS)

Written By: Editorial Team | Updated : May 4, 2014 2:14 PM IST

A new study shows that supine sleeping (being placed on the back for sleep) can reduce the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). Rates of supine sleeping are as low as 50 percent in some states in the US, a research said. While only about two-thirds of term infants are placed on their backs to sleep, the rate is even lower among premature infants.

'Given that supine sleep positioning significantly reduces an infant's risk for SIDS, it is worrisome that only two-thirds of full-term infants born in the US are being placed back-to-sleep,' said Sunah Hwang, an instructor in pediatrics at Harvard Medical School, the US.

More concerning is that adherence to safe sleep positioning is even lower for premature infants who are at even greater risk for SIDS compared to term infants, Hwang said. SIDS is the leading cause of death among infants between one month and one year of age. The study included 392,397 infants born in 36 states. Both premature and term infants had suboptimal rates of supine sleep positioning after hospital discharge, the study said.

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What is sudden infant death syndrome?

Sudden infant death syndrome or SIDS is a phenomenon where a baby younger than one year , otherwise healthy, dies due to unexplained circumstances, usually during his/her sleep. What makes this an even more shocking condition is, that the cause of the child's death remains unknown after through medical examination, including an autopsy.

The reason for this is still unknown, but in a recent study, researchers have claimed that babies dying from sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) have a brain stem (located at the skull's base and connects the brain to the spinal cord) abnormality that drastically decreases the amount of oxygen the baby's brain gets. This reduces the ability of the brain to respond to certain stimuli in the environment, like waking up from sleep when they are unable to breathe. Apart from this, doctors also believe that certain environments are detrimental to the health of babies who are very young. (Read: Pregnancy after 30 dangerous for mother and baby!)

What can a parent do to protect their child from this syndrome?

While the causes of this condition is unknown, there are still some things parents can do as precautionary measures:

It is recommended that when the baby is laid down to sleep, she is made to sleep on his back. Placing her on her side will only compress her airway making it harder for her to breathe.
Make sure there are no toys, pillows or loose sheets around the baby.
The mattress that the baby is sleeping on should be firm and the sheet placed on top should be tightly tucked in.
Parents must ensure never to sleep with their baby on a couch or in the sitting position, this is because in that position the child tends to curl up leading to a reduction in the amount they breathe. After a session of feeding, the mother should lay the baby down on a cot or mattress.
Always try to keep the baby cool. A temperature between 20-230C is optimum. Excessive heat can make cause the child's underdeveloped system to overheat, leading to death.
Finally, parent's must take their child regularly to his/her paediatrician for check-ups.

Keep these tips in mind to protect your child.

With inputs from IANS

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