Preventing Tragedy

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  • Posted By: rsjohnson @ 10/07/2008 12:44:14 AM

    To think that a parent would not follow a recomendation from a peds doctor to help reduce the risk of SIDS is very sad. That bight summer morning on June 16, 1988 when I woke to find the lifeless body of my 3 month old son laying in his crib would be enough to make anyone do anything to avoid such a tragedy, even if it's a fan blowing. What is the harm? I did everything right from breastfeeding to no covers ECT.. and to think I would not have taken one more measure to prevent this and it happen would be a life of guilt and what if''s! As a parent we should always take that extra step to assure our childs wellbeing and safety. Back to sleep has reduced the SIDS rate by 50% . Please do all you can to educate your friends and family on this subject.

  • Posted By: katharineck9 @ 10/07/2008 12:34:10 AM

    I'VE HAD SEVEN BABIES THAT ALL SLEPT ON THEIR TUMMIES. I WAS ALWAYS WORRIED THAT THEY MIGHT SPIT UP AND CHOKE ON IT IF THEY WERE ON THEIR BACKS. I HAD A FRIEND THAT WAS DOING RESEARCH FOR SIDS, IN SOME OF THEIR RESEARCH THEY FELT THAT KEEPING THE LIGHT ON OR SHADES OPEN DURING THE DAY HELPED PREVENT SIDS. WHEN IT IS DARK AND THE BABY IS WARM THEIR SYSTEMS SHUT DOWN, THINKING THAT THEY ARE STILL IN THE MOTHERS WOMB. WHEN I READ THIS ARTCLE IT MADE SENSE TO ME BUT I WOULD DO WHATEVER THE RECOMMENDATIONS ARE TO HELP SAVE A LIFE. I ALWAYS TURNED THE LIGHT BACK ON AFTER MY BABIES WERE ASLEEP.

  • Posted By: mickinstowe @ 10/07/2008 12:20:55 AM

    It is almost 40 years since my beautiful Son, Patrick, died of SIDS--I have heard so many reasons--changing the baby from Mother's milk to formula; the child sensed that the Mother didn't love him/her; fans in the baby's bedroom; and a few others. My Patrick was 19 months old when he died of SIDS so I would doubt that any of these and other theories do not pertain to SIDS. I hope and pray each day that SOME DAY, there will be a reason for heart-broken Parents so that they will at least have some peace of mind in knowing the cause of SIDS and in the meantime, while I think these people that come up with these suggestions are trying to accomplish this, perhaps they would be better advised to say nothing until they know for sure.
    Sincerely, Patrick's Mom

  • Posted By: momof11 @ 10/06/2008 11:58:16 PM

    Over the 23 year period when I was having children,(starting in the early 70's), the reccommendations for avoiding sids changed from lay the baby on his tummy to lay him on his side to lay him on his back. And don't put honey on the pacifier. And still the babies died. Just be very careful, watch over your baby and pray alot.

  • Posted By: ikie12pts @ 10/06/2008 11:27:40 PM

    AMazing! I am the mother of six and grandmother of 10 and the LaLeche nazis tried to tell all mothers that they HAD to nurse their babies in bed with them etc. Ridiculous! I didn't nurse but one of mine because I couldn't, but to put young mothers through the ringer like that is ammoral, as far as I'm concerned. Babies do NOT belong in bed with their parents. That's just asking for an accident to happen. Babies need their own beds where it's cool and quiet. That's just common sense. It never ceases to floor me when parents succumb to this nonsense. 'Young parents need to think for themselves and not listen to these pressure groups. It's crazy!

  • Posted By: BlueJeans @ 10/06/2008 11:17:18 PM

    I had five children. Smoked until I found out I was pregnant & quit and wouldn't let anyone smoke around me while carrying the babies. My children were all breastfed, never given bottles to sleep with and some not at all. They never slept in cribs and we always had a bathroom and bedroom window cracked open year round. I refused to use anyt type of gas heat for cooking or heating. Also did not have any pets while the children were growing up. I had friends who lost children to SIDS and no one can really explain what the "causes" were only assumptions.

  • Posted By: mnkybus8 @ 10/06/2008 10:34:58 PM

    After 4 mos. of age, I started putting my daughter to sleep on her stomach(like Mommy) & she slept fine if not better, because I kept her bedding area cool & she slept soundly after having nursed for X-amount of minutes
    sans a bottle @ night. My daughter(now 4) has absolutely NO Problems as far as her health is concerned despite having occasionally slept w/me @ night while nursing.

  • Posted By: JenniferHoskins @ 10/06/2008 10:23:39 PM

    My nephew died of SIDS at 3.5 months old. I just have one question, he was on his back sleeping when it happened. He was sleeping without any blankets or anything else to bother with his breathing. I have always laid my babies on their left side to sleep. I don't agree with laying them on their backs. I think that it is to easy for them to choke if they spit up/vomit in their sleep.

  • Posted By: sinaisara @ 10/06/2008 9:01:50 PM

    PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE remember that all of these things - including "Back to Sleep" - are possible RISK REDUCERS. Every year many many babies whose parents follow EVERY SINGLE recommendation still find their baby stolen by SIDS. I know this is true because since I have become involved in SIDS Awareness (OCTOBER IS SIDS AWARENESS MONTH) I have met dozens of people whose babies died despite the fact that the recommendations were always followed to the letter. The word PREVENT should NEVER be used in terms of SIDS. SIDS cannot be prevented or predicted. Please support SIDS awareness because until we know exactly why some babies die from SIDS, we will be nowhere near being able to use the word prevent. And please be careful when you make seeming "self-congratulatory" comments on the fact that you followed all of the recommendations and your babies are alive. When you do this, you cause great pain to the parents who loved their babies just as much as you do and were just as careful and yet they still lost their babies to SIDS. They have enough pain without having to deal with thoughtless comments that can appear to blame the parents or caregivers. SIDS can and does strike any family. Believe me, I know this. Thank you, Kathryn Houseman Lobert

    • Posted By: annecain @ 10/06/2008 10:05:57 PM

      Ms. Lobert, Thank you for posting your comment. My back-sleeping son died of SIDS ten years ago. We did everything right. From time to time over these long years without my child and without an answer for SIDS, news stories have surfaced suggesting that 10 percent of SIDS babies MIGHT have a heart condition or that another 50 percent of SIDS babies MIGHT be this or that. These stories seem to seduce the uninformed and shatter the SIDS families I know, who like mine, so desperately want answers that never seem to come. I sincerely appreciate your thoughtful and well-informed post.

      Families who have carefully followed all of the suggestions to reduce the risk of SIDS and lose their babies anyway are not rare at all. What is rare is a person who comprehends the loss. Someone who doesn't know SIDS might believe from the mainstream media stories that surface about possible strides in SIDS research that the Back to Sleep Campaign has all but solved SIDS, but unfortunately it has not. Please do not minimize the surprisinly large and overwhelmingly sensitive number of us who have loved our babies beyond their short lifetimes and who read these painful stories suggesting that perhaps a fan, of all things, would have made all the difference. You may assume that there aren't too many SIDS parents who will read this article and perhaps stumble upon that simple comment, but the hundreds and hundreds who might will probably agree that those who don't know the landscape of SIDS probably shouldn't tell themselves that only a handful of parents of babies who died of SIDS went ahead and listened to the experts, but to no avail. We are not rare.

  • Posted By: Morgan's Mom 6/27 @ 10/06/2008 8:01:41 PM

    I think the problem could be that at 3 and 4 months babies are starting to roll over . Since we've been having them sleep on their backs they are not used to having to position their heads so they can breathe once they've rolled over. I know my son sleeps on his back he is 3 months. I do tummy time with him when he's awake and he freaks out. he hates being on his stomach, he plants his head in the mattress and just cries. So I've begun using a positioner so that he won't roll over and suffocate. Until I'm sure he knows what to do when he rolls over. For those people who think bed sharing is okay, I really think you should re think it. As a brand new mom I was so exhausted the first few weeks that if my son was in my bed I could have easily not been aware that I rolled over on him. So I kept him in the bassinet by my bed. he is a great sleeper now and I am very lucky, but super cautious. My prayers are with all of you who have lost your children. My heart breaks for you.

    • Posted By: mdw3698 @ 10/06/2008 10:05:08 PM

      There are some cases where parents need to have the child in bed with them. My daughter had severe reflux. Sometimes hours after eating she would reflux and if on her back would start to choke. I looked at her and could see her struggling for air, needing to be picked up for her airway to clear. This scared me to death and I did bring her into bed with me. It was the only way I could always hear her breathing. At times she also slept on my chest so she could be on her stomach to avoid choking if she fell asleep immediately after eating. When in bed with her (no pillows or puffy bedding) I would put my head at level with her stomach or legs to avoid any chance of rolling on her. I also took EVERY advantage to sleep when she slept so that I would not be over exhausted. I have also seen reports where bedsharing is helpful in that if the infant can hear thier parent breathing, it can help the infant regulate thier breathing. Unfortunately nothing is gauranteed and until we "know" there will always be conflicting opinion. I can't imagine the pain of losing a child to SIDS. Its an unexplainable horror no one should have to endure.

  • Posted By: Nic@night @ 10/06/2008 9:36:34 PM

    The fan idea could work. Our local chiropractor thinks SIDS is related to babies inhaling trapped air that is contaminated with flame retardant chemicals coming from pajamas and sheets. Please make sure you wash all of the clothing for babies many times before using just in case.

  • Posted By: randyjorja @ 10/06/2008 9:16:44 PM

    Underwood-I know what you are going through. My husband and I lost our little girl to SIDS twelve years ago. There is no comfort that I can offer. It is possible to survive this. Your life will never be the same. You can be happy again, but even in those moments of happiness you will remember and you should remember. Your little boy is precious and I grieve for you and your family. I am truly devastated at the number of people destroyed by SIDS and it receives so little attention. Know that you and your family are not alone. There are others that understand how special and real your little one is, and how important it is that he be remembered.

  • Posted By: -PapaDadolis @ 10/06/2008 7:18:49 PM

    One of the risk factors that contribute to SIDS is excessive heat. In some cases the SIDS babies were swaddled in a warm blanket. The fan would keep the air moving and the temp lower in the room possibly lowering the risk of SIDS. Keeping the crib free of blankets and toys and using a firm mattress will also help. You want to avoid the chances of the baby suffocating. By reducing the risk factors you can reduce the chances of your baby dying of SIDS, but there are still cases where everything was done right and the baby still died, but those are very rare.

    • Posted By: sinaisara @ 10/06/2008 9:06:05 PM

      If you meet enough SIDS families, you will find that your comment about deaths being rare when recommendations are followed every time is completely wrong and very very very cruel. Kathryn Houseman Lobert

  • Posted By: texas leo @ 10/06/2008 8:24:53 PM

    When I heard the "re-breathing" theory years ago right around the time my first child was born, I came to the conclusion all on my own that turning on the ceiling fan in my infant's room was the right thing to do. We also had one going in our room for when baby slept in our bed. My "babies" are now 7 and 10 and still like to sleep with their fans on! :)

  • Posted By: underwood1 @ 10/06/2008 7:37:34 PM

    So those of us who lost our boy to SIDS either are screwing up or a very rare case? You know about as much as the doctors. Nothing! My wife and I followed all the rules and yet I still get a phone call at school informing me that my son died. An extensive autoposy and they still don't know the reason, so they call it SIDS. Every doctor I've talked to since has offered a different opinion on the situation. I have amassed a massive amount of study information and they are all different. This article only adds to the 1001 ways to make yourself feel better at night that mean nothing. I'm glad there are those parents like yourself who can educate me and then add the very rare comments to the end. Several published reports have pointed out that many cases of SIDS go undiagnosed due to a different autopsy standards throughout the states.

    Underwood

    • Posted By: poppimom @ 10/06/2008 8:14:09 PM

      I just want to offer my sincerest condolences to your family regarding the death of your little one. I could not agree with you more regarding your comments. You can do everything perfectly and this can still happen to your child. Others offering their far from "expert" opinion is inapropriate, insensitive and downright rude. Parents would do well to remember your key point that any infant death that reveals no indicators is commonly labeled SIDS. I also agree that all these articles and studies do is give parents more to worry about, and an even longer checklist of things that may be speculation. Some of us have children who sleep on their sides or tummies and I would argue that anyone who suggests you spend your already sleepless nights by your infant's bedside, flipping them over when they voluntarily seem to keep choosing their tummy, or trying to settle their shaky limbs into a state of peacefulness when all they want to do is curl up and rest obviously has never been in that situation. Isn't it interesting that for 9 months babies sleep and grow in the fetal position and then we try to make them sleep on their backs like turtles. If one's child sleeps happily on their back, more power to you. That parent has no idea the agony of choosing between helping your child rest and the FEAR that you are actually being a bad parent. We would all do better to support each other instead of acting like experts. We are getting to the point where you can't even tell people that you aren't breastfeeding (though your reason may be medical or otherwise) for fear that you will be judged and condemned. I just applaud your honesty and your reality check. I am so sorry for your loss.

  • Posted By: sm1978 @ 10/06/2008 7:19:56 PM

    They meant both hypO, and hypER-thermia. And it's an urban legend. Absolutely NOT TRUE!

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fan_death

  • Posted By: mightym @ 10/06/2008 6:56:11 PM

    The picture above the article shows a toddler sitting a few feet away from an operating fan which has no cover over the turning blades. What the heck..???

  • Posted By: nelliebelly @ 10/06/2008 6:34:58 PM

    There is a really easy way to ensure that your baby doesn't die of SIDS: get a motion sensor baby monitor. It's a sensory pad that sits underneath the mattress, and it goes off if it doesn't detect motion for more than 15 seconds. We used it through our baby's first year, and we really loved the peace of mind it provided.

  • Posted By: daplane @ 10/06/2008 6:25:53 PM

    Great. Now five thousand kids will die because of hypothermia because everyone uses fans to blow cold air on them.

  • Posted By: alexglaros @ 10/06/2008 6:18:53 PM

    Don't AIM a portable fan at a baby. It could expose them to hyperthermia risk.

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