SIDS (or sudden infant death syndrome) has no cure, no means of detection and no known causes. With 2,000+ cases every year, most occurring within baby's first 6 months, it is a parent's worst nightmare.
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| http://www.parentingstartshere.com/index.php/2011/10/30/unraveling-the-mystery-of-sids/ |
Although there are no means of detection, there are ways to prevent SIDS. Babycenter.com has a great list:
- Keep up with prenatal care.
- Do not smoke, use alcohol or drugs while pregnant.
- Place baby on back to sleep.
- Use proper bedding. This means a firm mattress with no blankets or bumpers in crib.
- Sleeping in the same room as baby or frequently checking on him/her.
- Keep baby warm but not hot.
- Keep baby away from smoke.
- Make sure baby gets all vaccinations.
- Breastfeed if you can.
- Let baby use a pacifier when sleeping.
One thing that both Ash W and I invested in for our babies was an Angelcare Monitor
. This monitor does all the things a normal sound monitor does, but it comes with a sensor pad that detects baby's movement (aka- breathing). If it doesn't detect movement, an alarm will sound and you can rush in and check on baby.
For us, the monitor did go off when my daughter was about 5 months old. We were still swaddling her (pathetic I know) and she got out of her blanket and buried her face in it. When my husband got in there and flipped her over, she took a big deep breath. I've never been so scared/relieved in my whole life.
This monitor isn't cheap...Amazon has it for around $125 (if you want 2 parent units...around $80 if you only need 1). I can't stress enough that every new parent NEEDS something like this. I would have paid so much more had I known it might have save my child's life.
. This monitor does all the things a normal sound monitor does, but it comes with a sensor pad that detects baby's movement (aka- breathing). If it doesn't detect movement, an alarm will sound and you can rush in and check on baby.  |
| http://www.angelcare-monitor.com/International/en/home |
For us, the monitor did go off when my daughter was about 5 months old. We were still swaddling her (pathetic I know) and she got out of her blanket and buried her face in it. When my husband got in there and flipped her over, she took a big deep breath. I've never been so scared/relieved in my whole life.
This monitor isn't cheap...Amazon has it for around $125 (if you want 2 parent units...around $80 if you only need 1). I can't stress enough that every new parent NEEDS something like this. I would have paid so much more had I known it might have save my child's life.
There is more research and funding being provided on SIDS than ever before. I hope that detection and causes can be determined soon so that parents can be given more information on how to prevent a tragedy. For more information on SIDS, visit American SIDS Institute.
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