New parents experience numerous emotions upon the birth of a new
baby; overwhelming love, awe that something so small could be so very perfect,
and fear that something might harm this little being. One such concern is the
possibility of sudden infant death syndrome (S.I.D.S.) also known as crib
death. The scary thing about S.I.D.S. is that the cause(s) is unknown. The good
news is that there are a number of ways parents can protect their infants.
Research found that when babies
were placed on their backs to sleep the baby was less vulnerable. The
National Institute of Child Health and Human Development began a campaign in
the 1990s called “Back to Sleep”. As
a result over a 10-year period the incidence was reduced by 50%. In the past
few years the rates for S.I.D.S. have not changed with over 2,000 infants
experiencing crib death in 2010. Despite mass public awareness that infants
must sleep on their backs, a new study has found that in the U.S. almost 30% of
babies are placed on their sides or stomachs for sleep.
The
Misconception of Choking
If parents are aware that back sleeping is much safer for their
infant, why do they continue to go against this recommendation? Ask any parent
and they will tell you that they are more afraid that the baby will choke. This
misconception is perpetuated by anyone who raised a child prior to 1990 as
everyone believed that babies were much more likely to choke if placed on the
back. This is simply not true for healthy, full-term infants.
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| Image Credit: http://www.healthybabiesjacksonville.org/fear-of-aspiration/ |
Babies are
anatomically protected in several ways against choking while lying on their
backs. First off, when a human is placed on the back, the trachea
(wind pipe) is on top of the esophagus (food pipe). If stomach contents come up
the esophagus, the baby will cough to prevent anything from getting into the
trachea. Infants placed on their stomachs are actually more likely to choke
then if they are lying on their backs. Second, nature further protects young
babies in a unique way. Until a baby is about 9 months old she is able to
breathe and swallow at the same time. This is possible because the larynx
(upper end of the trachea) and hyoid bone are higher up in the infant’s throat.
As the baby matures, the larynx and hyoid bone move down, allowing for
increased vocal ability.
Placing
babies to sleep on their sides can be just as risky as stomach sleeping. Infants
can easily roll onto their stomachs from a side position. To prevent this
parents will often roll up blankets or use some other device to prop the baby. Unfortunately,
blankets and sleep positioners can also become a smothering hazard. Bottom
line, infants belong on their backs while sleeping with nothing in the crib
except for the baby.
Although back sleeping appears to be the most effective measure a parent can take to provide for healthy sleep there are other strategies that can be effective in reducing the risk of S.I.D.S. Don’t smoke around the baby. Provide good air circulation around the baby’s little body. Avoid overheating. Babies who sleep in their parent’s room for at least the first 6 months are less likely to experience crib death. Pacifiers are also thought to help reduce the risk. And lastly, we would not be The Pump Station & Nurtury if we did not also mention that numerous studies have shown breastfeeding to be an important factor in protecting babies against a number of things including S.I.D.S.
