Syndrome of sudden death of newborns is the death of children in infancy, which occurred without any special reasons, most often in the early morning hours or at night. During the autopsy of the deceased, there are no deviations explaining this death.
Studies of the issue of sudden death syndrome first began in the West in the 60s, but they do not lose their relevance to this day. Statistics SIDS (syndrome of sudden infant death) is this: only in the US from it every year kill at least 6000 children. In the US, the syndrome ranks third in the list of causes of infant mortality. High rates of SIDS in New Zealand, England, Australia.
SIDS indicators in 1999. for 1000 newborns in Italy - 1; in Germany - 0,78; in the USA - 0,77; in Sweden - 0.45; in Russia it is 0.43. Most often, "death in the cradle" happens during sleep. It happens at night in a baby crib, and during a day's sleep in a stroller or in the hands of parents. SIDS usually occurs in winter, but the reasons for this are not revealed until the end.
Nobody knows until now why some children die like this. Studies continue, and doctors say that a combination of a number of factors plays a role here. It is assumed that some children have problems in the part of the brain that is responsible for breathing and awakening. They react inadequately when, for example, during sleep their mouth and nose are accidentally covered with a blanket.
"Death in the cradle" is not typical for children younger than a month. Most often it occurs from the second month of life. About 90% of cases are with children younger than six months. The older the baby, the less risk. After a year, SIDS cases are extremely rare.
For unknown reasons, the syndrome for Asian families is not typical.
Why is this happening?
In recent decades, the causes of sudden death syndrome are actively being identified. The question of their interaction is still open. To date, the following accompanying factors have been identified:
- the main risk factor is sleep on the abdomen;
- excessively warm clothes, wrapping. Although it is also not recommended to supercool a child in terms of SIDS risk;
- too soft surface of the bed or cradle. The pillow is not recommended;
- causeless stops of breathing or heart in the past (from the child or his brothers / sisters);
- a single mother under 20 years of age who has not received antenatal care from doctors;
- mother's disease during pregnancy;
- the interval between pregnancies is less than 1 year;
- if there were miscarriages earlier;
- Smoking, drinking, drug mother.
- complicated birth (pelvic presentation of the fetus increases the risk by 7 times);
- long labor for more than 16 hours (the risk increases by 2 times);
- significant shocks of the baby's nervous system in the womb;
- premature babies;
- inability to take breasts;
- artificial feeding;
- male gender of the child (61% of SIDS cases per boy);
- the child's age (usually 2-4 months);
- sleep in different rooms with parents.
How to prevent?
Unfortunately, there is no way to prevent the possibility of SIDS. But parents can take some measures to reduce the risk of SIDS:
- Sleep on the back.
- Sleep in the room with parents.
- Sucking the baby.
- Absence of prenatal stress and good prenatal care.
- Absence of contact with tobacco smoke in the child.
- Breast-feeding.
- Exception of child's overheating in a dream.
- Medical care for the child.
Children at risk should be closely monitored by the pediatrician and, if possible, the cardiologist. Cardiac respiratory monitoring can be considered the optimal method of SIDS prevention. For this purpose, home monitors are used abroad. If breathing is disturbed or arrhythmias, their sound signal attracts parents. Often, to restore normal breathing and work of the heart, it is enough to emotionally activate the baby by taking it in your arms, having a massage, airing the room, etc.