| What Can Be Done? |
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Unfortunately, we cannot expect to prevent all SIDS deaths now. To do so requires a much greater understanding of SIDS, which will be achieved only with a commitment from those who value babies and with a considerably expanded research effort. However, there are things that can be done to reduce the risk of SIDS. There are things that parents-to-be can do and there are things that parents can do.
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| Parents-To-Be |
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| 1. |
Get medical care early in
pregnancy, preferably within the first three
months, followed by regular checkups at the
doctor's office or health clinic. Make every effort to
assure good nutrition. These measures can reduce the
risk of premature birth, a major risk factor for
SIDS. |
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| 2. |
Do not smoke, use cocaine,
or use heroin. Tobacco, cocaine, or heroin use during
pregnancy increases the infant's risk for SIDS. |
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| 3. |
Take care to prevent
becoming pregnant during the teenage years. If you are a
teen and already have one infant, take extreme caution
not to become pregnant again. The SIDS rate decreases
for babies born to older mothers. It is highest for
babies born to teenage mothers. The more babies a teen
mother has, the greater at risk they are. |
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| 4. |
Wait at least one year
between the birth of a child and the next pregnancy. The shorter the interval between pregnancies, the higher the SIDS rate. |
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| Parents |
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| 1. |
Avoid exposing the infant to
tobacco smoke. Don't have your infant in the same house
or car with someone who is smoking. The greater the
exposure to tobacco smoke, the greater the risk of
SIDS |
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| 2. |
Breast-feed babies whenever
possible. Breast milk decreases the occurrence of
respiratory and gastrointestinal infections. Studies
show that breast-fed babies have a lower SIDS rate than
formula-fed babies do. |
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| 3. |
Avoid exposing the infant to
people with respiratory infections. Avoid crowds.
Carefully clean anything that comes in contact with the
baby. Have people wash their hands before holding or
playing with your baby. SIDS often occurs in association
with relatively minor respiratory (mild cold) and
gastrointestinal infections (vomiting and
diarrhea). |
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| 4. |
Place infants to sleep on
their backs, even though infants may sleep more soundly
on their stomachs. Infants who sleep on their stomachs
have a higher rate of SIDS than infants who sleep on
their backs. |
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| 5. |
Place infants to sleep on a
firm mattress with no covering or only a sheet or light
blanket used for covering. No stuffed animals or other
items should be placed in the crib. Soft mattresses and
heavy covering are associated with the risk for
SIDS. |
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| 6. |
Do not over-clothe the
infant while he/she sleeps. Keep the room at a
temperature that is confortable for you. Overheating an
infant may increase the risk for SIDS. |
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| 7. |
Consider using home monitoring systems
(apnea/bradycardia monitors) in an attempt to prevent
sudden death in high-risk infants.
The
risk of SIDS in the following groups exceeds that of the
general population by as much and 5 to 10
times.
- Infants born
weighing less than 3.5 pounds.
- Infants whose
sibling died of SIDS.
- Infants
exposed to cocaine, heroin, or methadone during the
pregnancy.
- The second or
succeeding child born to a teenage mother.
- Infants who
have had an apparent life threatening event.
Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of home
monitoring with the baby's doctor before making your
choice. Many communities have specialized programs for
the clinical management of babies at high risk for SIDS.
For information about the availability of such programs
in your area, ask your baby's doctor or contact the
American SIDS Institute. (See our clinic
page.)
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