SIDS, or Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, is the sudden unexpected death of babies. Babies with SIDS die unexpectedly within the first year of their life, though most cases happen in the first 6 months. SIDS often seems random and impossible to predict, but researchers have found some commonality in many cases through extensive studies of babies that have died during sleep. Experts believe that infants who die from SIDS might have a problem with the part of the brain that helps control breathing and moving while the body is asleep. This means that the best way to reduce the risk of SIDS in your newborn is to practice safe sleeping habits.
Throughout the years, physicians have gone back and forth on what they believe safe sleeping habits are for infants. With the rise of SIDS cases, though, there has been more research than ever on the risks and benefits associated with different sleeping positions and environments. These are some of the most important guidelines to keep in mind when putting your baby to bed.
Back is Best
Though pediatricians once believed that it was better for a baby’s developing body to sleep on its stomach or side, research has proven that theory wrong. The risk of “flat head”, is a condition in which an infant develops a flatter section on the back of their head from an excessive amount of time on their back. This can be easily remedied by increasing monitored tummy time while the child is awake and keeping them upright during the day. You can keep them upright by holding them in your arms, using a carrier, or giving them monitored time in a bouncer as they get older and their neck muscles develop enough to hold their own head upright.
There are many problems that infants may experience when sleeping on their stomach, including suffocation, a turned neck blocking their airway, and “rebreathing”. Rebreathing happens when a child continues to breathe in the air that they just breathed out and can not only increase their risk of SIDS, but also slow the development of their brain and damage their lungs. All of these factors could put the child’s life in danger and heighten their risk of SIDS. When you lay your baby down to sleep, ensure that you are laying them down flat on their back. Belly sleeping is a common cause of SIDS, and switching their position is a simple solution to help mitigate that risk.
No Pillows or Bumpers
As comfortable as a nice, fluffy pillow might make us when it is time for bed, pillows are another major suffocation risk. Furthermore, inclining an infant’s head while they sleep is not recommended as it might cause a blocked airway if the angle causes the baby to tuck their chin. Where older children aND adults have the muscle tone and developed instincts to correct our sleeping position to make breathing easier, infants do not have the same skills.
Luckily, most major baby supply stores no longer sell things like decorative pillows or crib bumpers since they were proven to be a SIDS risk. Still, plenty of providers out there still supply new moms with outdated bedding that could put their children at risk. When shopping for cribwear, carefully vet all bedding sets. Keep in mind is that your baby should never be sleeping under the blanket. Blankets can pose both suffocation and strangulation risks. If the room seems too cold for your newborn, put them in a sleep sack but never supplement with blankets in the crib.
Sleep sacks are an important resource for parents because they decrease the risk of suffocation. They help to regulate a baby’s body temperature throughout the night without the change of fabric covering the baby’s nose or mouth. On top of being a more safe option, most babies also find their sleep sacks very soothing due to the sacks proving a sense of close security like they experienced in the womb.
Keep Toys Out of Sleeping Areas
In the early days of your new baby’s life, they might become attached to any number of toys or plushies. They might even become attached enough to depend on them to go to sleep at night or during the day. While these kinds of attachments are normal and healthy, allowing toys into their sleeping space is not.
Much like blankets and pillows, toys are a suffocation and strangulation risk. Having toys anywhere in their crib or bassinet increases a child’s chances of SIDS. Even something as simple as a teddy bear in teh opposite corner from where they sleep is discouraged by experts. Though most infants do not move much in their sleep because of low muscle tone and deeper sleep cycles, some do and it is not worth the risk to a child’s life to leave anything in their sleeping area that could endanger them.
Do Not Co-Sleep
When your infant first comes home, they may wake up several times throughout the night. This is completely normal, as they adjust to a new environment and routine. As their bodies grow, they begin to experience new discomforts and pains, they may continue to sleep erratically for much longer than a typical adjustment period. While this can be uncomfortable for us, as parents, it is normal and healthy.
That being said, it is crucial that you avoid any situation where your baby is in bed with you while you are not strictly monitoring their sleep. Co-sleeping may seem like a convenient alternative to traditional cribs and bassinets–especially for mothers who are breastfeeding and feeding on demand–but this practice greatly increases a child’s chances of SIDS.
While bed-sharing is not recommended, room-sharing is highly encouraged. If possible, the safest option for your infant is to move their crib or bassinet into your bedroom and have them sleep as close to you, in their own separate space, as possible. This will allow you to monitor their sleeping throughout the night and ensure that they are breathing regularly and have not turned over in their sleep.
Regulate Room Temperature
Regulating the temperature in the room that your baby will sleep in is especially important for the first 10 weeks of their life. At week 11 their little bodies begin to regulate their body temperature much like ours does, but they should still be strictly monitored after this milestone.
Your baby’s most comfortable temperature is about the same as yours: between 68° and 72° Fahrenheit. While it is most effective to keep a thermostat set to that temperature, there are other ways to make sure that your baby does not get too hot throughout the night. Simply put, your baby experiences temperature in much the same way that you do. Make sure that your home is a comfortable temperature for you, and dress your baby for the bed to the same level of coverage that you would dress yourself. Though babies cannot regulate their body temperature as well as we can, their body still experiences heat and cold in the same way. Unless they are showing visible signs of feeling cold, try not to dress them in heavy sleeping clothes unless the house is cold.
Overheating is another SIDS risk, so vigilance is best in these cases. Watch your sleeping infant’s face for flushing, patches of red around the neck, or sweating. If they seem like they might be getting too hot, either remove some of their clothing or lower the room temperature.
Do Not Feed in Bed
Another thing to keep in mind is that you should never give your baby a bottle while they are laying in their bed. When your infant wakes up during the night and they need to be fed, they should be fully removed from their bed, fed in a slightly inclined position, then placed back into their bed.
Infants should never be fed while they are laying down. This eating position is a major choking hazard and should be avoided even when your baby is past the age when SIDS is a concern. It is also important to note that your baby should never be left holding their own bottle in bed, and bottles should never be propped up. During all feedings, an adult should be present and actively monitor the baby’s intake.
Gingras Sleep Medicine
Gingras Sleep Medicine has offices in Concord and Charlotte, North Carolina. The facility is owned and operated by Dr. Gingras, a nationally recognized double board-certified sleep medicine doctor and pediatrician. Here patients receive thorough evaluations and cutting-edge treatments for a variety of sleep disorders. Because Dr. Gingras understands the risks of negative sleep habits and how sleep disorders affect infants, she is able to help parents correct certain behaviors and mitigate the risk of SIDS.
For more information on how a sleep medicine specialist might help you, call us today at (704) 944-0562 or make an appointment on our website!