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Sudden Infant Death Syndrome – it is a terrible enigma that visits itself on thousands of families every year, devastating them beyond repair. It is a reality so horrible that we simply refer to it by it’s acronym – SIDS. One day a beautiful healthy baby, the next a dead infant. Medical authorities have been wrestling with the why questions for many decades. In recent times some of their long held theories have been turned on their head. So, what is the current state of medical opinion with regard the causes and preventative measures related to Cot Death? Recently an International Convention on Sudden Infant Death Syndrome was held in Auckland, New Zealand. Their findings are summarised below:
(1) Passive smoking has been shown to be a leading factor in cases of cot death. Studies show that a baby with just one parent who smokes is 5 times more likely to suffer from cot death than one with neither parent who smokes. According to world authority Dr, Joyce Epstein of the British Foundation for the Study of Cot Death, “ If we could remove all smoking from a baby’s environment we estimate that cot deaths will reduce by 61 %.
(2) It has been observed that babies who suck on pacifiers have about half the risk of cot death than those who don’t. The experts don’t know why but the figures are quite conclusive. It should also be noted, however, that pacifier sucking has also been shown to reduce breast feeding and increased risk of ear, airway and stomach complications.
(3) Taking baby to bed with you during the first year of it’s life will reduce the risk of cot death. This appears to regulate the baby’s breathing pattern with your own. According to Dr. James McKenna of Ponoma College in California, “ Taking baby to bed with you for the first year, rather than isolating him in a crib, will not only reduce the likelihood of SIDS, but will result in healthier, happier babies. If you are a smoker, however, don’t sleep with your baby.
(4) Don’t allow your baby to sleep on it’s stomach. Although they don’t why, it is apparent that the risk of cot death is increased threefold if baby sleeps on it’s stomach.
As far as what actually causes cot death, the experts are still at a loss for a definitive answer. Previous theories such as suffocation by pillows or bed clothes, complications from bottle feeding with cow’s milk have all been thrown out the window. The four factors noted above, however, have been medically shown to have definite links to Cot death. A theory that was floated at the SIDS Conference that proved rather controversial was that proposed by Dr. Jim Sprott. He is convinced that Cot death is directly related to poisonous gasses emanating from the baby’s mattress. His solution? Simply wrap the mattress in thick, clear polythene sheeting. His conclusions, however, were roundly rejected by the scientific community in attendance at the Conference who decried the lack of hard evidence to back up the theory. Sprott’s reply was that there has been a marked reduction in cases of Cot death in New Zealand since the time he began publicly advocating his mattress wrapping theory in 1994. “The score is 400 to nil,” Sprott stated, comparing the number of deaths that have occurred on wrapped as opposed to unwrapped mattresses in New Zealand.
Ultimately the choice of what to do lies with you, the parent. By taking in as much information as possible, however, including conflicting theories, you will be in the best possible position to do the right thing for your child.
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