Information on SIDS

Did you know this about Sudden Infant Death Syndrome?

• The incidence of SIDS varies between countries. A high incidence has been noted in for example New Zealand, while Asia, the Netherlands, Sweden and Finland have particularly few cases of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.
• Since the general advice came to let babies sleep on their backs, the differences between countries have fallen.
• Sudden Infant Death Syndrome is very uncommon for babies younger than one month. It is most common when babies are 3-4 four months old and then the risk decreases. Only 20% of all cases occur when the baby is older than 6 months.
• 60% of all affected babies are boys.
• Somewhat more cases occur during winter. The general belief is that the number of infections is higher during the colder months. In countries without these seasonal variations, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome appear to be higher during the semesters, supporting the theory that infections may be a cause of SIDS.
• SIDS is more common during weekends, but it is not clear why. Altered ways of living, such as that the parents consume more alcohol is a possible explanation.
• Most babies die at night and are found in the morning.
• The more children in a family, the higher is the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome . The reason for this is unknown, but may have to do with either some factors during the pregnancy or the fact that the number of infections reaching a newborn increases with the number of children in the family
• Premature babies and babies with a low birth weight (less than 2500 gr, (5 pounds 8 ounces)) are at higher risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome .
• Since the recommendation of back sleeping as the only sleep position was implemented, the percentage of infants placed on their backs to sleep has increased dramatically, and the rates of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome have declined by more than 50% in some countries.

It feels good to end this page a with positive note. I think it's wonderful that something as simple as having your baby sleep on his back can make such a large difference for the risk of SIDS.

Also, many doctors believe that the rather new recommendation of a pacifier is likely to lower the risk quite a lot further.

Remember this to prevent Sudden Infant Death Syndrome :

For more details on how to prevent Sudden Infant Death Syndrome , click here.