Sudden Infant Death

Syndrome
Its time to be aware!

S.I.D.S
Sudden Infant Death Syndrome has become the
number one reason for infant mortality. In this
year alone about 4,000 infants under the age of
one have died of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.
Therefore, it is important to start aiding in the
funding for research through SIDS America. If
research will continue to be funded, scientist will
be closer to finding out why sudden infant death
syndrome occurs. However, through extensive
research it has been found that there are risk
factors of one child suffering from Sudden Infant
Death Syndrome such as putting an infant to sleep
on its abdomen, or swaddling the baby in a hot
environment. In addition, gender and ethnicity
has also been linked to SIDS. Therefore it is
important medical research continues in this area.

Awareness
In order, to stop sudden infant death syndrome from
occurring we not only need continue research, but continue
community outreach. In order to extend to the community,
parents need to be taught proper ways to take care of
newborn infants. Education is a main source for success.
Spreading awareness and knowledge about the topic will
aid by allowing the number of unexplained deaths in a year
to decrease. In addition, awareness will provide comfort to
new parents. Overall, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome can
easily be prevented if parents used proper technique and
were aware of the syndrome. With awareness, research,
and advocacy 4,000 infants a year would not have to die
and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome could be eliminated.

Safe Sleep Campaign

The Back to Sleep campaign was an initiative launched in 1994 to teach parents of
proper ways to put newborns to sleep. The campaign advocated that toys, blankets,
pillows, and stuffed animals should not be placed in the crib while an infant is sleeping
in it. In addition, children under the age of one should be placed on there back to sleep.
Lastly, the campaign focuses on finding new ways for infants to Sleep Safe.
Campaigns like Back to Sleep have prevented Sudden Infant Death Syndrome in more
that 30,000 infants. Therefore, if more advocacies were started for Sudden Infant Death
Syndrome we could save more than 30,000 infants a year.

References:
U.S. Center for Disease Control. (2014). About sudden infant death and sudden infant death syndrome (CDC, Comp.). Retrieved from Center for Disease Control database.

Chang, A. (2014). SIDS: Reducing your baby's risk. Retrieved November 1, 2014, from BabyCenter website:
http://www.nichd.nih.gov/health/topics/infantcare/conditioninfo/Pages/born.aspx