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Willinger defines Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) as "the sudden death of an infant under [one] year of age which remains unexplained after a thorough case investigation, including performance of a complete autopsy,
examination of the death scene, and review of the clinical history" (as cited in National SIDS/Infant Death Resource Center, 2004, p. 1).
Facts About SIDS:
- SIDS is the major cause of death in infants from one month to one year of age
- Most of the infant deaths occur between ages of two and four months.
- SIDS is associated with sleep as this is when majority of deaths occur; the infants are generally healthy otherwise.
- A diagnosis of death from SIDS is a dignosis of exclusion, and is determined only after an autopsy, an examination of the death scene, and a review of the infant's and his/her family's health histories.
- A SIDS death leaves the family with many unanswered questions, causing intense grief for parents and families.
- Some potential, however controviersial, risk factors for SIDS include sleep position, sleep apnea, cardiac abnormalities, a previous sibling passing from SIDS and maternal smoking.
Myths About SIDS:
- SIDS IS PREVENTABLE
SIDS is not preventable, but the risk can be reduced by remembering to put babies on thier back to sleep and on a firm surface, ensuring the baby's sleep environment is smoke free, and keeping the baby's blankets to a minimum to reduce the chances of suffocation.
- SIDS IS CAUSED BY VOMITING, CHOKING, IMMUNIZATIONS AND/OR ILLNESSES (I.E. COLDS, INFECTION, DIPTHERIA, PERTUSSIS, TETANUS)
- SIDS IS CONTAGIOUS
SIDS is not contagious. If a child dies from SIDS it does not in any way increase the chances of a sibling or other child dying from SIDS.
- SIDS IS CAUSED BY CHILD ABUSE OR NEGLECT
The cause of SIDS is unknown. A correlation between SIDS and abuse/neglect has not been proven.
(Mitchell, 2000; National SIDS/Infant Death Resource Center, 2004)
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