Sudden Infant Death Syndrome kills more than 2,000 babies in the US each year. They are most commonly aged between 2 and 4 months and die in their sleep. The cause has always remained a mystery.

However, recent breakthrough findings reported in the Journal of the American Medical Association show that SIDS is a disease. Even so, there are ways of minimizing the risk. Reading this could save a life.

How Did They Make This Discovery?

Researchers studied the brains of 31 babies who had died from SIDS and 10 who had died for other reasons. They focused on the medulla of the brain which controls involuntary actions, including breathing, controlling blood pressure and heart rate.

The medullas of SIDS babies were much more likely to have abnormalities in the nerve cells which respond to serotonin. Serotonin is a chemical that plays a major part in the regulation of breathing and sleeping.

They also found that there were more abnormalities in the SIDS boys than girls which would help to explain why boys are twice as likely to die of SIDS.

What Does This Mean for SIDS?

Its a huge breakthrough and may bring researchers nearer to developing a test to identify at-risk babies. At the moment, such a test is still a long way off as no early warning for SIDS has been pinpointed yet so no-one knows what to test for yet.

But there are known methods of minimizing the risk of SIDS. These are methods that everyone caring for a baby at any time should be aware of and follow.

Back to Sleep

The Back to Sleep campaign, started in 1992 has cut deaths from SIDS by 50%. However, their safety recommendations still need spreading far and wide.

Of the 31 deceased babies examined in the recent SIDS study, a worrying 77% had been sleeping on their stomach or side, or sharing a bed with an adult or both.

Top Recommendations For Safe Sleeping

1. Always, always place the baby on his/her back for every sleep. This applies to night time sleeping and naps and every time the baby sleeps.

2. Make sure the baby is sleeping on a firm mattress which is covered by a tight fitted sheet. Never let a baby sleep on pillows, quilts, sheepskins or anything soft.

3. Keep the entire sleeping area clear of soft toys or objects, pillows, blankets, quilts, sheepskins and pillow-style bumpers. The baby can sleep quite happily in a onesie.

4. Dont have the baby sleep with you (or with others) in a bed, on a couch or in an armchair. If you breastfeed the baby in your bed put him/her back into their own sleeping area once youre done.

How Can These Help?

Put simply, SIDS babies dont seem able to sense if oxygen is low and rouse themselves. Following the recommendations can literally save a babys life.

Make sure that everyone who cares for the baby follows them at every sleep.

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