As soon as I found out I was pregnant with Jet people immediately started talking to me about SIDS monitors and products that claim to prevent SIDS. I went back and forth over whether or not I wanted to try any of these products. I was unaware before Olivia passed away that some of these products even existed, such as the SIDS baby monitor and sleep apnea monitor, and because Olivia wasn't in my care when she passed away doctors hadn't even mentioned them to me. After doing some research online, talking to doctors, and even a paramedic who had responded to SIDS cases, I decided that a SIDS monitor wasn't for me.
SIDS monitors are not regulated by the FDA and to have the claim that they prevent SIDS, they need to be regulated. The FDA has never approved a product to prevent SIDS and is asking companies to stop marketing their products with these claims until they have received FDA clearance or approval. The FDA has said "These products are absolutely not necessary and they can be very dangerous". I have also read many stories from parents about SIDS monitors that have false alarms and it's more stress than it's worth, being woken up many times in the night thinking that your infant has stopped breathing. The paramedic I spoke to told me (and I learned in my CPR/First Aid class) that once a child has stopped breathing for the amount of time it takes the SIDS baby monitor to alert you, the child will most likely not be able to be resuscitated, and if they are they will have brain damage.
Other products to watch for are baby sleep positioners. I had bought one when I was pregnant with Olivia because it claimed to prevent SIDS only to find out that 13 infant deaths in the past 13 years had been caused by sleep positioners.
For more detailed information on statistics and what the FDA is saying about these products see the FDA website.
Tuesday, January 22, 2013
Saturday, January 19, 2013
Preventing SIDS
Yesterday, I wrote about the SIDS age range and gave some tips on how to prevent incidences of SIDS in older babies. Today, I want to discuss SIDS prevention for infants ages 1-12 months. Again, there is no 100% way to prevent SIDS, but there is a lot that you can do to lower your baby's risk. Since parents have been practicing the following steps, the SIDS rate has dropped 50%.
Put your Baby on his back to sleep - A babies risk is very high if they are sleeping on their stomach or back. These positions put the babies face in the mattress making it harder to breathe. If you're worried about your baby spitting up or choking, it is very rare and can happen if the child is on their stomach as well. Usually babies will swallow or cough up liquids automatically, but if you're still concerned, talk to your doctor about elevating your infants head.
Make sure anyone who watches your baby puts your child down to slip on their back. Don't assume everyone knows that these can lead to SIDS.
Once your baby is old enough to roll over onto their stomachs to sleep, let them. It's good to let your child choose their own sleeping position.
Use a firm mattress - Always lay your baby down to sleep on a firm surface. All baby needs is a fitted sheet - don't put pillows, blankets, comforters, stuffed toys, or bumpers in you infants crib.
If you're concerned about the safety of your mattress contact the Consumer Product Safety Commission - 800-638-2772 or www.cpsc.gov.
Don't smoke around Baby - Babies born to Mothers who smoked while pregnant die from SIDS three times more often than those who's Mothers do not smoke. Secondhand smoke has also increases the chance of SIDS. Don't let anyone smoke around your Baby.
Do not let Baby sleep in your bed - I have spoken to so many parents in the past year who let their infant sleep in their bed, and they will shrug it off and say 'I know it's bad, but....'. I get it... I never thought this would happen to my family either, but it does happen and it's SO important that your infant sleeps alone in a bassinet next to your bed or in his crib alone.
Breastfeed - Breastfeeding can lower the risk of SIDS by 50%, though experts aren't sure why. Many think that breastmilk may protect Babies from infections that lead to SIDS.
Immunize your Baby - Evidence shows that babies who are immunized have a 50% less chance of dying of SIDS than Babies who are not immunized.
Consider using a pacifier to put your Baby to sleep - Again, researchers aren't sure why pacifiers reduce the risk of SIDS but it does. Don't force your Baby to take the pacifier if he doesn't want it and don't put it back in his mouth once he/she has fallen asleep.
Don't overheat your Baby - Dress your Baby in light, comfortable clothes and try to keep the temperature between 60-70 degrees. If you're worried that your Baby might be cold, use a Halo Sleepsack Swaddle sleeper sack.
Beware of items that claim to reduce the risk of SIDS - Most of these items aren't proven safe or effective. SIDS monitoring devices can go off for any reason and will cause more stress and worry than not having one. (I will go over SIDS monitors in more detail in another post)
Don't give honey to a child less than 1 year old - Honey can lead to botulism. Botulism and the bacteria that causes it have been linked to SIDS.
If you ever have any questions about the safety and health of your infant, please contact your Pediatrician.
Put your Baby on his back to sleep - A babies risk is very high if they are sleeping on their stomach or back. These positions put the babies face in the mattress making it harder to breathe. If you're worried about your baby spitting up or choking, it is very rare and can happen if the child is on their stomach as well. Usually babies will swallow or cough up liquids automatically, but if you're still concerned, talk to your doctor about elevating your infants head.
Make sure anyone who watches your baby puts your child down to slip on their back. Don't assume everyone knows that these can lead to SIDS.
Once your baby is old enough to roll over onto their stomachs to sleep, let them. It's good to let your child choose their own sleeping position.
Use a firm mattress - Always lay your baby down to sleep on a firm surface. All baby needs is a fitted sheet - don't put pillows, blankets, comforters, stuffed toys, or bumpers in you infants crib.
If you're concerned about the safety of your mattress contact the Consumer Product Safety Commission - 800-638-2772 or www.cpsc.gov.
Don't smoke around Baby - Babies born to Mothers who smoked while pregnant die from SIDS three times more often than those who's Mothers do not smoke. Secondhand smoke has also increases the chance of SIDS. Don't let anyone smoke around your Baby.
Do not let Baby sleep in your bed - I have spoken to so many parents in the past year who let their infant sleep in their bed, and they will shrug it off and say 'I know it's bad, but....'. I get it... I never thought this would happen to my family either, but it does happen and it's SO important that your infant sleeps alone in a bassinet next to your bed or in his crib alone.
Breastfeed - Breastfeeding can lower the risk of SIDS by 50%, though experts aren't sure why. Many think that breastmilk may protect Babies from infections that lead to SIDS.
Immunize your Baby - Evidence shows that babies who are immunized have a 50% less chance of dying of SIDS than Babies who are not immunized.
Consider using a pacifier to put your Baby to sleep - Again, researchers aren't sure why pacifiers reduce the risk of SIDS but it does. Don't force your Baby to take the pacifier if he doesn't want it and don't put it back in his mouth once he/she has fallen asleep.
Don't overheat your Baby - Dress your Baby in light, comfortable clothes and try to keep the temperature between 60-70 degrees. If you're worried that your Baby might be cold, use a Halo Sleepsack Swaddle sleeper sack.
Beware of items that claim to reduce the risk of SIDS - Most of these items aren't proven safe or effective. SIDS monitoring devices can go off for any reason and will cause more stress and worry than not having one. (I will go over SIDS monitors in more detail in another post)
Don't give honey to a child less than 1 year old - Honey can lead to botulism. Botulism and the bacteria that causes it have been linked to SIDS.
If you ever have any questions about the safety and health of your infant, please contact your Pediatrician.
Friday, January 18, 2013
SIDS Age Range
When can you stop worrying about Sudden Infant Death Syndrome? I had thought that the SIDS age range was from birth to 6 months. I never worried about it too much... I knew basic causes and believed that it would never happen to me. I do remember breathing a sigh of relief at 6 months because at that point I couldn't prevent her from rolling herself over and it was nice to know that now she would be safe, and I was happy to finally start putting a blanket on her in our cold house and letting her sleep with her Teddy. The crib was plenty big and she could get up and move if she couldn't breathe right?
Actually, the SIDS age range is 1-12 months. Babies between the ages of 2-4 months are most at risk, and 90 percent of SIDS cases are under the age of 6 months. Still, 1.3 deaths of 100,000 children aged 12 months or older die for unknown reasons. It is SO important that you continue taking measures to prevent SIDS up to 12 months, and even longer to be safe. Olivia was very mobile. She kicked off blankets when she was hot, I would put her down on one side of the crib and she would wake up on the other, and she go from back-sleeping to tummy sleeping, but she wasn't able to recognize when she couldn't breathe.
I know that it's hard to use some of the prevention tips once your child is older but here are a few steps you continue taking once your baby becomes mobile:
-Use a firm crib mattress. Softer mattresses may cause your child to sink, therefore making it hard for them to breathe
-Don't overheat your baby with too much clothing or an overly hot room. 60-70 degrees is a good range.
-Keep pillows, fluffy blankets, comforters, stuffed animals, and other soft objects out of the crib. There are so many Breathable Baby Mesh Bumper you can choose from, and you can use a blanket sleeper like this one Halo Fleece Sleepsack Swaddle Set - Pink to keep them warm.
-Never allow people to smoke around your baby
Actually, the SIDS age range is 1-12 months. Babies between the ages of 2-4 months are most at risk, and 90 percent of SIDS cases are under the age of 6 months. Still, 1.3 deaths of 100,000 children aged 12 months or older die for unknown reasons. It is SO important that you continue taking measures to prevent SIDS up to 12 months, and even longer to be safe. Olivia was very mobile. She kicked off blankets when she was hot, I would put her down on one side of the crib and she would wake up on the other, and she go from back-sleeping to tummy sleeping, but she wasn't able to recognize when she couldn't breathe.
I know that it's hard to use some of the prevention tips once your child is older but here are a few steps you continue taking once your baby becomes mobile:
-Use a firm crib mattress. Softer mattresses may cause your child to sink, therefore making it hard for them to breathe
-Don't overheat your baby with too much clothing or an overly hot room. 60-70 degrees is a good range.
-Keep pillows, fluffy blankets, comforters, stuffed animals, and other soft objects out of the crib. There are so many Breathable Baby Mesh Bumper you can choose from, and you can use a blanket sleeper like this one Halo Fleece Sleepsack Swaddle Set - Pink to keep them warm.
-Never allow people to smoke around your baby
Thursday, January 3, 2013
What if my child likes to sleep on his/her tummy?
As a new Mom I had no idea what I was getting myself into when it came to lost sleep. The first week was easy. As most parents know, newborns will sleep ANYWHERE through ANYTHING, but after the first couple of weeks that stops and you're left with this restless, screaming baby, who just doesn't want to sleep. Olivia had really bad tummy issues up until about 3 months. I was up every couple hours with her and it would take at least an hour to get her to go back down; as a single working mom I would have done ANYTHING to get her to go to and stay asleep. I know how hard it can be to lose a ton of sleep and still have to function the next day.
* Changing concepts of sudden infant death syndrome: implications for infant sleeping environment and sleep position. American Academy of Pediatrics. Task Force on Infant Sleep Position and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. Pediatrics 2000 Mar;105(3 Pt 1):650-656.
Still tempted? As you can see that while placing your child on their tummy to sleep can be good for your sanity, it's definitely not worth the risk! It has been proven that belly sleep has up to 12.9 times the risk of death as back sleep. This is the easiest and most effective way to prevent sudden infant death syndrome. Please share and help educate new parents and caretakers.
It has been proven that babies cry less when placed on their tummies to sleep. It will calm them easier, and they are less likely to wake up during the night. Tempting right? Before you give in, check out the table below:
Stomach-sleep
|
Back-sleep
| |
| Cries more |
X
| |
| Wakes more |
X
| |
| Harder to arouse |
X
| |
| More likely to over-heat |
X
| |
| Re-breaths more |
X
| |
| Increases carbon dioxide |
X
| |
| Has more apnea |
X
| |
| Spits up more |
same
|
same
|
| More likely to choke |
same
|
same
|
| Greater risk of SIDS death |
X
| |
* Changing concepts of sudden infant death syndrome: implications for infant sleeping environment and sleep position. American Academy of Pediatrics. Task Force on Infant Sleep Position and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. Pediatrics 2000 Mar;105(3 Pt 1):650-656.
Tuesday, January 1, 2013
Help end SIDS!
When my daughter passed away of SIDS in March of 2012 I was shocked to see how little research had been done to find out the causes and what we can do to prevent sudden infant death syndrome. The most horrifying and confusing words I have ever heard in my life came from the doctor at Kaiser that day when I asked how something like this could have happened to a perfectly healthy 11 month old baby. All he could tell me was that 'Sometimes this happens, even to healthy babies.' That's it, that's all I got. I hoped that by searching online I would find more answers, there were none. It turns out that my baby WAS placed in a playpen with pillows and blankets which may explain the reason her life was cut short, but what about the 6 month rule? Shouldn't she have been safe? Throughout my research I found that SIDS can take the life of children up to 2 years of age, some even older. It can also happen to children who are sleeping on their backs with no pillows or blankets in sight. How does this happen? And why isn't there more research being done to find answers? Please see the message below from Mark Peterzell, the SIDS institute chairman.
Because of efforts by the Institute and other organizations, the sudden infant death rate is at an all time low. Since 1983, the rate of SIDS has fallen by over 50 percent. Sadly, there are still about 2,500 deaths per year in the United States, and thousands more throughout the world.
We believe that within our lifetime, we can eliminate SIDS as a cause of infant death, but only with the financial and personal support of corporations, foundations and concerned individuals. There are many ways institutions and individuals can contribute to this effort which are available through the Institute's website or through its office. Please join us in this fight. The death of even one more infant is intolerable! Together we can end the tragedy of SIDS.
- Mark Peterzell, SIDS institute chairman
There are so many parents who are unaware of SIDS and how to prevent it, including the people who were watching my daughter that day. There is absolutely no reason that children should lose their lives because of something that may be so easy to prevent, if only the word could more easily be spread. It is my goal for 2013 to spread the word about Sudden Infant Death Syndrome and to raise the funds needed to end this tragedy.
Please help by sharing this with your friends and family, and if you can, you can donate to SIDS research by clicking on the following links:
Make a donation or Shop to fight SIDS
Because of efforts by the Institute and other organizations, the sudden infant death rate is at an all time low. Since 1983, the rate of SIDS has fallen by over 50 percent. Sadly, there are still about 2,500 deaths per year in the United States, and thousands more throughout the world.
We believe that within our lifetime, we can eliminate SIDS as a cause of infant death, but only with the financial and personal support of corporations, foundations and concerned individuals. There are many ways institutions and individuals can contribute to this effort which are available through the Institute's website or through its office. Please join us in this fight. The death of even one more infant is intolerable! Together we can end the tragedy of SIDS.
- Mark Peterzell, SIDS institute chairman
There are so many parents who are unaware of SIDS and how to prevent it, including the people who were watching my daughter that day. There is absolutely no reason that children should lose their lives because of something that may be so easy to prevent, if only the word could more easily be spread. It is my goal for 2013 to spread the word about Sudden Infant Death Syndrome and to raise the funds needed to end this tragedy.
Please help by sharing this with your friends and family, and if you can, you can donate to SIDS research by clicking on the following links:
Make a donation or Shop to fight SIDS
Monday, March 19, 2012
10 Months!
10 months... I can't believe it! If I could just freeze time here, I would. You are SO much fun and show so much emotion! You also started throwing tantrums, and you copy EVERYONE!!
Your favorite toy these days is the basketball hoop I bought you. You just figured out how it works, and you love how it cheers every time you slam dunk.
This month you started clapping, kissing, shaking your head no, walking with your walker, throwing your head back when you laugh, and eating on your own. And the socks! Every time you get in your carseat you have to take of your socks. My back seat must have at least 20 of them scattered all over the place!
There are SO many other things you learned this month... The days are becoming a blur. I'm so proud of you every day, and love you more and more.
Love, Mom
Friday, January 13, 2012
9 Months!
You're 9 months! Everyone who sees you says that you've lost all of your newborn look, and now you're a Baby. I still get compliments EVERYWHERE I go and get stopped at least 5 times at every store by women who say 'Look at how beautiful those eyes are.' You've lost a lot of your stranger anxiety, which has been nice, and you'll smile and talk again to strangers.
Your favorite toy right now, is the spoon that came with the Doll that Grandma and Grandpa Kehoe gave you for Christmas. Everytime I look at you, you have that spoon in your mouth.
You get teased A LOT! I guess that's what you get for living with your uncle, but I have to admit that Mama does it too. You're just so fun; and you have such a cool, calm personality, and show so much emotion that I can't help but play around with it sometimes. We try hiding things from you, but you always find them, and we like to play tag too! You also started playing the other side of peek-a-boo. When I was riding in the back seat of the car with you and your car seat cover was up, you thought it was so funny to hide and then peek out at me. Here is a pic of uncle teasing you when you were wearing your bunny robe. He kept putting the hood over your face, and you would have to lift it up to see... you thought it was hilarious.
Now that you're more mobile, you also get stuck in the most awkward positions! You cry too and get frustrated, but because you can handle it, I make you wait while I grab my camera and as soon as I pull it out, you stop fussing and smile.
You're getting to be such a big girl! You are now standing up by only holding on to something with one hand, you sleep through the night, and fall asleep unswaddled, you're eating a lot more grown-up food and LOVE it! You actually throw a fit when dinner is finished. You've stayed overnight at Grandma and Grandpa's and Auntie Shaylee's and both of them couldn't believe how good you were, and how easy you fell asleep. I'm so proud of you everyday and I love you more than anything in the world!
Love, Mama
Oh my gosh! I almost forgot the most exciting thing you did this month! You said MAMA!! And I know you meant it because I was getting ready for work and not paying attention to you, and you finally got frustrated enough that you climbed up my legs and said 'Mama, mama'. I froze, picked you up, and tried to get you to say it again, but you wouldn't. Then a couple days later, that's all you would say. I LOVE it!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
