DIY

Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) is responsible for the death of nearly one out of every 1,000 babies between the ages of one week to 1 year in the United States. What makes this family tragedy worse is that SIDS is a “diagnosis of exclusion.” In other words, SIDS occurs when apparently healthy babies die suddenly—without a known cause for their death.

Dr. Hannah Kinney, associate professor of neuropathology at the Harvard Medical School, believes a defect in the brain stem, which controls breathing and oxygen levels in the body, may be the culprit. She reports, “The region we’re focusing on is important in sensing carbon dioxide. In a significant number of SIDS deaths, this region has a defect that probably occurs during pregnancy. As a result, we think that babies don’t wake up when they’re stimulated with rising amounts of carbon dioxide, which can occur when they are put to bed facedown.”

Current recommendations to avoid carbon dioxide buildup include placing babies on their backs for sleep, and to remove all pillows or bedding that may cause an infant to re-breathe expired air. Most babies awaken when their carbon dioxide levels rise too high, but it is believed some may not have strong enough “startle” reflexes, at their young age, needed to raise them from sleep to waking.

New risk factors for SIDS also have been identified. Historical evidence shows that mothers who smoke during pregnancy increase the risk of their babies dying from SIDS by 400-500%. A recent Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and National Center for Health Statistics study confirms the link between airborne pollutants and SIDS. Babies who live in cities with high levels of particulate air pollution, such as car exhaust, are 26% more likely to succomb to SIDS than babies who live in cleaner areas. Scientists believe that air pollution and cigarette smoke damage the healthy development of the brain stem in pregnancy.

The bottom line is to position babies on their backs for sleep, to remove pillows and bedding that might cause them to re-breathe expired air, and to avoid smoking during pregnancy and at home. Spread the word! Together, we can take the mystery out of SIDS, and brighten the lives of many families!