Sudden Infant Death Syndrome symptoms and causes

Every 10^th mother in society bears the loss of her child due to sudden infant death syndrome. Here are some important facts that you need to know about this disease.

Sudden Infant Death Syndrome refers to the sudden, unexpected death of an infant younger than 1 year of age. It indeed is tragic event for parents and loved ones especially when the death is totally unexpected.

Sudden Infant Death Syndrome has no specific reasons. It may happen as a result of some factors that lead to the death of the new born. Sudden Infant death is also known as “Silent Death” as the baby doesn’t cry or makes a voice. In fact the baby appears in good health and may not show even a slightest sign of being unwell. The death is totally sudden and may leave a deep mark on the family and loved ones but one thing should be clear that nobody is responsible for this sudden death of the infant.

There are some development factors that may lead to sudden infant syndrome such as:

Improper Brain Development of a child. This may adversely affect some portions of the brain leading to a failed functionality. Such as a baby’s ability to wake up from sleep may fail and cause expiration. The part of brain, that controls breathing, may not function properly leading to infant’s expiration.

Respiratory Infection may be a major cause of infant death. A lot of SIDS victims have been reported to have a major cold or flu that resulted in irregular breathing during sleep. A blockage of respiratory tract by mucous may have caused suffocation leading to death.

Premature Delivery may lead to incomplete development of brain that causes immature development of brain. As a result the baby fails to have a control on processes such as heart rate and breathing.  It may become difficult for him to cope up sleep arousal and maintaining a regular heart beat while asleep.

Some other factors may also become the cause of SIDS such as the way your baby sleeps.

Sleeping Conditions play a major role in factors leading to SIDS. Your baby may have a problem in breathing if he is sleeping on stomach or on sides. Baby sleeping on soft surfaces may experience a problem too.  A soft crib with a lot of obstacles around may cause suffocation to your baby.

If your baby is wearing clothes that are too warm to cause suffocation it may lead to the expiration or SID.

The Sex of the baby may play a major role in the factors supporting SIDS. Males are slightly more likely to die from SIDS.

Family History may affect the rate of SIDS.  If there had been SIDS previously in the family, the newborn is at a higher risk of SIDS too.

Passive Smoke in the house may also lead to the factors that aid SIDS. Babies who live with members who smoke are at a higher risk of SIDS.

Apart from these factors there may also be some factors from the mother’s side that may lead to the risk for baby getting into SIDS such as:

·         If the mother is younger than 20 years of age she might not be able to provide all the necessities that the baby in her womb needs to grow fully.

·         If the mother had been smoking during her pregnancy or had been taking drugs or alcohol, there are greater chances of the baby being prone to SIDS.

Prevention:

SIDS cannot be completely prevented but the risk of their occurrence can be minimized. Make sure you take care of a few things during pregnancy and after Birth of your baby:

During Pregnancy:

·   Make sure you take proper diet to prevent any deficiencies leading to improper functionality of baby’s brain.

·         Develop healthy habits and quit smoking, alcohol and drugs.

·         Avoid factors that lead to premature birth.

                        After Birth:

·    Take care of your baby’s sleeping positions. Prefer laying your baby on her back instead of sideways.

·       Keep your baby in a crib that has a hard surface. Avoid putting too many toys or stuff  in the crib.

·         Keep the baby light and make sure the environment is properly oxygenated.

·         Avoid smoking around your baby.

·         If you have a family history of SIDS, consult your pediatrician

Taking a few measures can reduce the risk of SIDS but they do not promise a cure. Remember that SIDS is unexpected and no one is responsible.