Sudden infant death syndrome. Sudden adult death syndrome: causes

There is a certain risk of dying from a disease such as sudden death syndrome. Instant death can be avoided only by those that will be discussed in this article. It happens like this: if a child has difficulty breathing during sleep, there is a risk of airway blockage, which leads to tragic consequences. Doctors have so far been unable to detect any tendency towards this anomaly. Even an autopsy of the body does not give doctors a hint of the cause of the illness. The study of the disease began in 1950, and it was only in 1969 that the term “sudden death syndrome” appeared and the corresponding diagnosis was first made.

Since this phenomenon is observed only in infants, the disease later changed its name to sudden infant death syndrome. According to statistics, 0.43% of 1000 newborns die from it in Russia. After organizing a foundation dealing with this problem, mortality decreased by 74%, but the problem was not completely solved.

Sudden death syndrome can occur for the following reasons.

Sleeping on a baby's stomach is the most common cause of death. Because of this, pediatricians changed the recommendation that the baby should sleep in this position. All experts now recommend placing the baby on his back. As a result, the mortality rate decreased threefold
Your child is wrapped too warmly while sleeping. This should not be done under any circumstances; pediatricians recommend an overnight bag with optimal thermal insulation for your baby’s sleep.
If your child sleeps on too soft a surface. Doctors do not recommend placing your baby on a sofa or a bed that is too soft. For unknown reasons, sudden death syndrome may also occur in this case.
If one of the children in the family has already experienced critical situations, such as cardiac arrest, or this also increases the likelihood of SIDS in other babies.
If the child's mother was already ill with serious illnesses before giving birth.
If the mother has an interval between pregnancies of less than 1 year. If a woman has had miscarriages before giving birth, this can also contribute to SIDS.
Smoking and drinking alcohol by the child’s mother, as well as the use of light and hard drugs.
Difficult childbirth, after which the chance that SIDS will occur increases by 7 times.
If labor is too long, this increases the chance by 2 times.
If the mother of the child had a lot of stress before giving birth, the child also experiences stress. In such situations, the likelihood of death increases greatly.
If the mother did not carry the child to term.
Complete absence of breastfeeding and, in connection with this, a child.
Boys are more at risk than girls; according to statistics, they die in 61% of cases.
Children who die from sudden death range from 2 to 4 months of age.
In case you sleep in different rooms.

Ways to avoid SIDS logically stem from the prerequisites for the disease described above. Here is a detailed list to help you keep your baby safe.

You should put your baby to sleep on his back, never on his stomach.
The surface on which your baby will sleep should be hard.
You need to put your baby to sleep in a special sleeping bag, which will have the optimal temperature. Don't wrap your baby too tightly.
You need to sleep with your child in the same room, let him lie in the crib next to you.
Under no circumstances should you smoke near your child.
Be sure to breastfeed your baby

By following these recommendations, you can protect your child from this terrible diagnosis. Under no circumstances should you be afraid; it is better to be attentive and careful parents and worry about your beloved children in moderation. Only in this case will you be able to protect your family from troubles and grief.

Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS)- a concept applied to the unexpected death of a child of the first year, occurring in a dream without established causes. They talk about ADHD if the study of the medical record and place of death, as well as the pathological examination, do not provide a clear answer about the causes of the baby’s death. To assess the risk of sudden infant death, test algorithms (Magdeburg score table) are proposed, ECG and polysomnography are performed. Prevention of ADHD includes optimizing the child's sleep conditions, identifying children at risk, and providing home cardiorespiratory monitoring.

The algorithm proposed by I.A. Kelmanson, contains 6 clinical and 12 morphological signs that allow post-mortem differential diagnosis of sudden infant death syndrome and life-threatening diseases and is of interest mainly to pathologists.

Prevention

If an obvious life-threatening episode occurs, it is necessary to take the child in your arms, stir him, vigorously massage his hands, feet, earlobes, and back along the spine. Usually these actions are enough for the child to start breathing again. If breathing has not been restored, it is necessary to urgently call an ambulance and begin artificial respiration and closed cardiac massage.

Prevention of ADHD includes primary and secondary measures. The principles of primary prevention are based on antenatal measures (giving up bad habits before pregnancy, rational nutrition of the mother, sufficient physical activity, prevention of premature birth, early registration and management of pregnancy under the supervision of an obstetrician-gynecologist, etc.). Primary prevention measures also include optimizing the sleeping conditions of an infant: sleeping on the back, using a sleeping bag that prevents the child from turning onto his tummy on his own, sleeping on a thick mattress, avoiding overheating, sufficient access to fresh air, maintaining temperature and humidity conditions, the absence of strong odors and tobacco smoke.

Secondary prevention of ADHD involves identifying high-risk groups and carrying out targeted measures (restorative treatment, massage), home cardiorespiratory monitoring, etc.

Sudden infant death syndrome, an unexplained cause of death in children from birth to 1 year of age, sounds like a ridiculous sentence. It turns out that the risk of “cradle death” can be reduced by preventing dangerous factors.

Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) or "cradle death" they call an inexplicable cause of death of an absolutely healthy child. Nothing bothered the baby, he was healthy and cheerful before going to bed.

And after a few hours, the child’s heart stopped forever - the baby will never wake up again, smile at his mother, cry or be happy with a new toy. When the shocked, grief-stricken parents try to find out the cause of the tragedy, it turns out that the post-mortem examination cannot explain why the child died. Then SIDS becomes the only diagnosis. Posthumous.

Causes of sudden infant death syndrome

SIDS has not been fully studied. Scientists just shrug their shoulders when another tragedy happens to a healthy child from a prosperous family. Therefore, the exact causes of sudden infant death have not yet been determined. We can only talk about the most probable reasons, including:

sleep apnea
heart rhythm disorder
congenital pathology of the arteries supplying blood to the brain
a combination of minor deterioration in health and nervous shock
infectious processes in the body
compression of the vertebral artery

In addition to the causes of SIDS, it is worth noting some factors that can lead to tragedy:

During pregnancy, the mother smoked, took drugs, drank alcohol
premature baby
there was intrauterine growth retardation
baby sleeps on his side or stomach
soft bed, use a pillow for sleeping
presence of toys, pacifiers, bottles in the crib
increased air temperature in the bedroom
parents smoking

Smoking during pregnancy can cause SIDS

IMPORTANT: If it is not possible to eliminate causes that do not depend on the circumstances and quality of life of the child, then every parent can eliminate most risk factors in order to protect the baby from SIDS.

Statistics of sudden infant death syndrome. Research on Sudden Infant Death Syndrome

Based on medical research in recent years, SIDS statistics have emerged:

White children die twice as often as black children
sudden death occurs in 3 children out of 1000
65% of dead children are male infants
90% of SIDS cases occur between 2 and 4 months of age
The most dangerous age for a baby is 13 weeks
6 out of 10 cases of SIDS are caused by parents
On the eve of death, 40% of children showed signs of acute respiratory viral infection (runny nose, slight cough, slight increase in body temperature)
the lowest rates of SIDS are in Holland and Israel (0.1 per 1000), the highest in Italy and Australia
Most sudden child deaths occur during the cold season (October - March)

IMPORTANT: Even if by all indicators the child is at risk of SIDS, you should not worry too much. You need to make every effort to create favorable safe living conditions for the baby and simply wait out the dangerous period.

Many infants had a slight increase in temperature on the eve of death

Up to what age is Sudden Infant Death Syndrome possible?

SIDS is considered the cause of death in children from newborn to one year. But in fact, the risk of the syndrome decreases significantly as the child gains the ability to independently roll over, sit down, and stand up in the crib, that is, after six months.

When a baby learns to turn, sit and crawl on his own, the risk of SIDS will decrease dramatically.

Sudden infant death syndrome: truth and myths

The mystery of SIDS has not yet been solved, perhaps that is why it has acquired all sorts of scary stories and terrible stories, which in most cases are very far from the truth.

Co-sleeping. A common myth about mother and child sleeping together is that the mother can crush the baby in her sleep. Therefore, it is not recommended for the baby to sleep with his parents.

Video: Co-sleeping with a child

In fact, co-sleeping with your mother can prevent SIDS. The baby synchronizes its breathing with the mother's breathing and breathes with her throughout the sleep period. In addition, mothers of babies sleep very lightly. If the child is nearby, the mother is able to instantly recognize even the slightest deviations in her baby’s breathing or behavior.

Co-sleeping with parents can cause SIDS in exceptional cases

IMPORTANT: In cases where the mother smokes and drinks alcohol, co-sleeping, on the contrary, greatly increases the risk of SIDS.

Swaddling. There is an opinion that children who are not swaddled die in their sleep. Is it possible to protect a baby from SIDS by swaddling? I guess, yes. After all, if the baby’s movements are not limited in any way, he may accidentally roll over or throw a blanket over his head.

IMPORTANT: Do not swaddle your baby too tightly - this restricts the baby's breathing and increases the risk of SIDS.

Tight swaddling may cause SIDS

SIDS and the pacifier. Many mothers refuse to use pacifiers, because, in their opinion, nothing good can be expected from a piece of rubber. However, the most ordinary pacifier can reduce the risk of SIDS. The pacifier will help air flow to the respiratory organs, even if the baby accidentally turns over on his stomach or covers himself with a blanket.

IMPORTANT: It is best to start introducing your baby to a pacifier when breastfeeding is fully established. However, if the child refuses to take the pacifier, there is no need to insist.

Sudden infant death syndrome and vaccinations

The start of vaccination coincides with the peak of infant mortality due to SIDS. This fact began to arouse suspicion among anti-vaccination mothers. Still would. If some consider childhood vaccination the source of all troubles and health problems, why not, out of ignorance, blame it for the deaths of babies?

But statistics and research results convince us of the opposite: vaccinated children die in their sleep less often than their unvaccinated peers. In addition, the risk of dying from cardiac or respiratory arrest during sleep during an infectious disease in unvaccinated children is much higher.

SIDS has nothing to do with routine vaccination

When is infant death syndrome a homicide?

Many child deaths have completely understandable causes. In most cases, the death of infants is caused by the intentional or unintentional careless behavior of their parents. When the autopsy and the expert commission discover violent factors, the diagnosis: “SIDS” changes to the verdict: “Murder.”

Intentional strangulation. There are cases where a baby was deliberately strangled by one of his own parents. Angry at the prolonged loud crying, the adult covered the helpless baby with a heavy pillow, cutting off the supply of oxygen.

Death due to shaking. At the moments when adults shake a child by the shoulders, trying to calm him down in this way, they do not even imagine that their baby is on the verge of death. Young children's necks are still so weak that even a few sudden, violent movements of the head can cause serious brain damage. The consequences of such shaking are often loss of consciousness, coma and death.

Suffocation in a dream. Occurs unintentionally when mother and baby sleep together. Women who take sleeping pills, tend to sleep deeply, or drink alcohol should not place their baby next to them. People say about such cases: “I slept with the child.”

Prevention of sudden infant death syndrome

Prevention of SIDS does not provide a 100% guarantee that everything will be fine with the baby, because it is impossible to predict the tragedy. But by providing the child with the most favorable conditions, you can significantly reduce the risk of accidental death.

The child should sleep only on his back. Sleeping a baby on its tummy increases the risk of accidental suffocation several times over. The baby can play for a short time, lying on his stomach, but only in the presence of adults
The baby should not be overheated. The optimal temperature in the room for sleeping should not exceed 22˚C
You should not cover your baby with a blanket; it is better to use a baby sleeping bag.
Tight swaddling should be avoided, as it compresses the chest and interferes with normal breathing.
It is unacceptable for parents to emit strong odors of tobacco, perfume or alcohol
You should not put your child to bed if the parents are very tired, have taken alcohol or sleeping pills, and may fall asleep soundly.
To prevent the child from choking on vomit, before going to bed you need to hold him in a column, giving him the opportunity to burp
You should not use bumpers or a canopy in the playpen - all these fashionable and beautiful accessories prevent the flow of air into the crib
Do not leave toys, rattles or pacifiers in the baby's crib.
The child's bed should not be too soft. The best option for a baby to sleep is a hard mattress
When the child falls asleep, you need to offer him a pacifier. Pacifiers significantly reduce the risk of SIDS
The child should sleep in the same room with his parents until at least six months of age.

The correct sleeping position for a baby is lying on its back

What to do if a child stops breathing?

If parents notice that the baby's breathing has stopped, they need to act immediately. You must immediately take the child in your arms and, in one quick movement, run your fingers along his spine from bottom to top, try to wake him up by slightly shaking him.

Then you should massage the child’s earlobes, fingers and toes with intense but at the same time gentle movements. After such actions, breathing should return. After such an incident, parents should contact their pediatrician as soon as possible.

IMPORTANT: If you are unable to restore the child’s breathing on your own, you must urgently call an ambulance and begin resuscitation: artificial respiration and cardiac massage.

How to avoid sudden infant death syndrome: tips and reviews

Tip #1. Special sensors are used to monitor the condition of infants who are at risk or who suffer from frequent, long-term episodes of apnea. They operate on the principle of a baby monitor, but only react to prolonged pauses in the baby’s breathing and deviations in heart rate. Also, to prevent SIDS, they use restraints that prevent the baby from rolling over on his stomach while sleeping.

Tip #2. SIDS can be avoided by paying special attention to the child in the following situations:

any illness with increased body temperature, deterioration or difficulty breathing
lethargy, causeless fatigue, refusal to eat and drink
deep sleep after strong, prolonged crying
sleeping in a new crib, under unusual conditions
child age 2 – 4 months

Irina, mother of Ruslan (1 year): I believe that the first way to prevent SIDS is breastfeeding. Moreover, the baby should sleep with his mother. Of course, at first you will have to put all pillows and blankets away, which will cause some inconvenience. But the child will feel safe hearing his mother’s breathing, and will be able to “tune in” to the same rhythm as her.

Elena, mother of Yasmina (5 months): I am very afraid of SIDS, so I have taken all possible measures to prevent it: my daughter sleeps in our room in a separate crib, the mattress is hard, we constantly ventilate the room. In addition, my husband and I lead a healthy lifestyle - we don’t drink or smoke. Therefore, I think that our baby is not in danger.

Vika, mother of Angelina (7 months): The daughter was born very premature. In the first months of her life, she often experienced breath-holding during sleep. I was very afraid of losing the child, so I literally stood by the baby’s crib at night, listening to her breathing. When it seemed to me that she was not breathing, I picked her up and woke her up. My girl was angry and crying, but I calmed down. Now the apnea attacks have stopped, my daughter has gotten stronger and grown up. I'm not so afraid for her anymore.

Parents who have become familiar with the causes and factors contributing to the development of sudden infant death syndrome should try with all their might to reduce the likelihood of its occurrence. If the mother and father of the baby follow all the rules for caring for the child, we can confidently say that the risk of SIDS is minimal.

Video: “Death in the Cradle” Sudden Infant Death Syndrome

As soon as any new parent hears the term “sudden infant death syndrome”, they immediately begin to experience nervous tremors. And not in vain! This phenomenon is scary because it has no scientifically proven reasons; not a single little person is immune from it, unfortunately. What is sudden infant death syndrome? Should we be so afraid of him? Which children are at risk? And how to protect and preserve your baby? Read about this in our article.

Sudden death of an infant

Sudden death of an infant or, scientifically, sudden child death syndrome is not a disease, it is only a diagnosis that is made when a healthy child dies unexpectedly and without cause, and after an autopsy, specialists cannot determine the exact cause of his death. Unfortunately, sudden death in children is a common phenomenon; according to domestic statistics, this figure is 0.43 per 1000 newborns. Since 1991, the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation has been leading a campaign to reduce the risk of infant mortality syndrome, as a result of which this figure has decreased by 75%. However, sudden neonatal death remains a common cause of child mortality.

This diagnosis is scary because there are no exact reasons why the baby may die. Scientists around the world are conducting research, but so far there is only one assumption that explains the death. Due to the immaturity of the brain, some infants do not respond properly to disturbances in respiratory function, that is, if a healthy child, feeling that his mouth and nose are covered with a blanket and he cannot breathe normally, wakes up, then children at risk continue to sleep. The same situation is observed, if a foreign object gets into the child’s mouth during a dream, the baby should cough and wake up, but sometimes this does not happen, and death occurs.

Fortunately, you only need to be especially vigilant in the first six months of your baby's life, then as your baby gets older, the risk of SIDS decreases. There are no scientifically proven risk factors for this phenomenon, however, world statistics indicate that Asian children are not susceptible to SIDS, and the risk group includes infants born to mothers under 20 years of age.

There is a group of risk factors that you cannot influence in any way. These include:

gender of the child - as a rule, boys are at risk (they account for 60% of all registered cases);
prematurity - if your baby was born before 37 weeks, be prepared for the fact that you will need to be very, very careful!;
low body weight – if your baby weighs less than 2.5 kg at birth, he is at risk for SIDS.

Sudden death syndrome

Is Sudden Infant Death Syndrome really that merciless? Fortunately - no! And if you should simply accept the risk factors described above and double your vigilance, then by following our recommendations, you can significantly reduce the risk of SIDS in your baby.

Firstly, always, both day and night, put your child to sleep in his own crib, which should be either in your bedroom, or the door to the children's room should be wide open so that you can hear your baby's sniffles. Place your child to sleep exclusively on his side, so he will definitely not choke or suffocate. When the baby is 5-6 months old, he will begin to turn around on his own in his sleep and will automatically choose the most comfortable sleeping position for himself. All you have to do is make his sleep as safe as possible by turning him from his stomach to his side.

Secondly, if you are just thinking about getting pregnant and smoke, quit this harmful activity immediately! And never allow anyone to smoke in front of the baby, even in the next room, even through the window and with the ionizer! Quitting reduces the risk of sudden death syndrome by 40%! Save the life of your baby! If you have guests who smoke, ask them to smoke outside and make sure that no one comes close to the baby after a smoke break, at least for some time.

Third, protect your newborn from overheating, which also increases the risk of SIDS. The temperature in the children's room should be between 16 and 20 degrees, ideally 18 o C. Place the crib so that it is away from radiators, a fireplace, a heater, and also avoid direct sunlight. Do not wrap your child in hot water or cover him with an overly warm and heavy blanket. When placing the child in the crib, place him with his legs close to the side so that the baby cannot slide down and cover himself with a blanket in his sleep, and also cover the child only to shoulder level. If you use a sleeping bag, make sure it fits well. If you notice that your baby is sweating, his hair is damp, prickly heat has appeared, his breathing has become faster, he is restless, and his skin is hot - these are sure signs of overheating. In this case, you need to quickly unwrap the baby, take him out into the fresh air and let him cool. The main indicators by which you can determine whether a child is comfortable are the bridge of the nose and neck; if they are warm or cool, everything is fine. Do not check the baby's arms and legs - they may be cold, but in fact the baby is warm and cozy. Also, do not dress your baby too warmly for walks! Be guided by the weather and how you dress, but your child should wear one more layer of clothing than you.

Fourth, contrary to the common practice of co-sleeping with your baby, especially if he is breastfed, try to avoid it from the very beginning. Let your baby sleep separately in his own crib, and you will reduce the risk of sudden death, and in the future you will not have problems “relocating” your grown-up baby to his bed.

At the same time, the crib must meet all the requirements of pediatricians. The frame should be made of non-toxic materials (wood, processed plastic), the mattress should be smooth, hard and rigid (coconut fiber mattresses are best suited for these purposes). The mattress upholstery should not allow moisture to pass through. For bed linen, use a regular set of sheets and a baby blanket; it is better if it is made of light wool for winter, and thinner for the warm season. Do not use pillows, bolsters, or cotton or down blankets under any circumstances! Firstly, this will lead to problems with the spine, and secondly, all this bedding is heavy and can crush the child in his sleep.

And lastly, follow the schedule of visits to the pediatrician and vaccinations, and do not neglect the health of your baby.

The less we know about a strange, inexplicable phenomenon, the more terrible it seems to us. Very little is known about sudden infant death syndrome, which is the main cause of death of babies aged one month to one year in many countries. Despite decades of research, doctors still cannot make a clear verdict on why an apparently perfectly healthy baby suddenly, for no apparent reason, quietly freezes in his crib and never wakes up again...

The very idea that a baby can, for no apparent reason, simply stop breathing in its sleep and never wake up again, strikes colossal horror in the most courageous, loving and caring parental hearts. However, fear is not a reason to turn your back on a potential threat. This is a reason for your conscious parental behavior to prevent death from even coming a mile closer to the cradle. And believe me - just because the danger is not known, this does not mean that the risks cannot be reduced!

Sudden infant death syndrome: a diagnosis without a diagnosis?

Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, abbreviated SIDS, (international name Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, SIDS) is still, alas, classified as a medical mystery. The only thing that is transparent here is the statistics. And it is ominous: in America alone (the country where the greatest attention is paid to the study of sudden infant death syndrome), about 4,000 babies die every year completely for no reason.

In other words, these children do not find any mechanical, toxic or any other abnormalities or injuries, not to mention any obvious diseases. 82% of these children die right in their sleep - they simply stop breathing, their heart stops moving.

What unites these babies and on what grounds is the cause of death attributed to them - sudden death syndrome? In medicine, there is such a thing as a “diagnosis of exclusion” - it is assigned in a situation where no other explanation can be applied. So the diagnosis “sudden death syndrome” is a classic example of a diagnosis of exclusion. It is considered the main and only cause of death in infants aged 1 to 12 months who have not been observed to have any illnesses, have received proper care and attention, and have not experienced any accidents.

The processes that lead to the death of infants are a sudden unexplained stop of cardiac and respiratory activity.

If it’s easier for you, you can put the vague medical concept of causeless infant death into any “human” phrases: these children simply leave; Having barely had time to be born, for some unknown reason they are “in a hurry” to return back... And today there are no intelligible explanations for this phenomenon.

To officially make a diagnosis of sudden death syndrome, the doctor must study in detail the child’s medical record, the history of his birth and conditions of detention, and also perform an autopsy. And only in the absence of any other explanation for the death of the baby, does the doctor have reason to put SIDS in the “cause of death” column.

In the States, the statistics of which we have already mentioned, and in many other countries with different levels of development of medical science (and in particular diagnostics), sudden death syndrome in babies under one year of age is the leading cause of infant mortality. This is a bit shocking, isn't it? It would be appropriate to “sin” on infections, congenital diseases or even accidents - but no, the favorites, oddly enough, are SIDS.

Sudden death syndrome: which babies are at risk

Despite the fact that the very concept of sudden infant death syndrome still remains a mystery to science, many years of research have provided some data. For example, medical scientists have outlined a kind of risk zone, the children “inhabitants” of which are many times more likely to die before reaching the age of one year. So, who is at risk:

Infants older than 2 months but younger than 4 months. Doctors who have been literally “dissecting” the topic of sudden infant death syndrome for decades have noticed that the most critical age for the death of babies is 2-4 months. Obviously, this is due to the fact that at this age the child is already able to independently turn face down in his sleep, while their survival instincts have not yet been developed. In other words, if the baby does not have enough oxygen, he will not undertake any maneuver (will not turn around, will not cry, will not raise his head) to save himself. Children under 2 months are unable to roll over, while children over 4 months gradually develop a self-preservation instinct.
Children with reduced immunity. The fact is that the “strength” and advanced development (according to age) of the child’s immune system directly affects cardiac activity and respiration. Stronger immunity means more stable heartbeat and breathing. In the same category (precisely “thanks” to weakened immunity) fall, for example, premature babies, children of parents who are smokers and alcoholics, children from multiple pregnancies.
Boys. According to statistics, for every 1 girl aged 1 to 12 months who died with a diagnosis of sudden death syndrome, there are 2 boys. This ratio can be partly explained by the fact that immunity in infancy is somewhat higher among future ladies than among gentlemen.
Children experiencing overheating or hypothermia. Both environmental conditions cause the baby's breathing to deviate from the normal rhythm of operation. And overheating in this situation is worse than hypothermia - when the baby is cold, his breathing and cardiac activity slow down, fading gradually. But if he is hot and especially stuffy!, his breathing and heart may simply stop.
Children who sleep on their stomachs. According to statistics, about 82% of dead children diagnosed with sudden death syndrome died in their sleep, 70% of them lying on their stomachs face down or to the side.

Do those who lack happiness die?

The only cause of sudden infant death syndrome that has a more or less plausible medical basis is directly related to the body's production of... . Serotonin, that is.

Studies on sudden infant death syndrome, which have been accumulated for several years by the United States Department of Health and Human Services, show that in the body of babies who died from SIDS, the level was significantly reduced (to be more correct with formulations - in the brain of infants the hormone serotonin was produced in critically small quantities).

Since serotonin - in everyday life referred to as the hormone of happiness - is directly involved in many vital physiological processes, including cardiac and respiratory activity, the conclusions themselves “asked themselves” to the inquiring minds of doctors: a lack of serotonin may be a physiological cause that destabilizes processes of breathing and heartbeat. And in this case, the position on the stomach or the stuffy climate in the room is more likely a catalyst for a future tragedy than its basis.

Researchers hope to develop a test that will measure the level of serotonin in a child's blood, and based on this, plan interventions that can potentially reduce the risk of sudden death syndrome.

Death is lurking at the cradle... What to do?

It would seem, how to treat the inexplicable? How to prevent something that no one can clearly describe? How to deal with what is unpredictable? In fact, some safety measures can be taken against sudden infant death syndrome. And it is necessary!

All these measures naturally developed from the descriptive statistics accumulated by physicians on the details of the deaths of infants who received a posthumous diagnosis of SIDS. In other words, by eliminating risk factors, we can significantly improve an infant's chances against sudden death syndrome. So, measures to prevent sudden infant death syndrome include:

A baby up to one year old should take a position on his back or side while sleeping. This seemingly insignificant detail plays a huge role!

In Western European countries, statistics on sudden infant death syndrome have been kept since the early 1980s. In the mid-1990s, European pediatricians conducted an active educational program among young mothers about the benefits of infant sleep on their back in terms of preventing SIDS. And already at the end of the 1990s, the terrible statistics in Europe decreased by 2.5 times!

There are several compelling arguments in favor of the supine position during sleep:

1 When a baby sleeps on his stomach face down, he involuntarily compresses his lower jaw (the joints and ligaments are not yet developed enough to hold it without the slightest displacement) - thus the upper respiratory tract narrows and breathing becomes difficult.
2 Sleeping on the stomach increases the risk of so-called “rebreathing” - when the circulation of oxygen is difficult, and the baby begins to inhale the same air that was exhaled before. Catastrophically lacking oxygen, his heart gradually slows down and stops.
3 The breathing of a child lying face down can be blocked by a pacifier or a piece of fabric (sheets, diapers, etc.), which the baby can reflexively suck on in his sleep instead of his mother’s breast or pacifier. And if the baby is lying on his back, he physically cannot do this. Moreover, when he falls asleep, the pacifier will simply fall out on its side, without in any way blocking the access of air either to the baby’s nose or mouth.

No one can predict exactly how these circumstances may affect different children. Some babies’ bodies can easily overcome all the “obstacles” with breathing and get a great night’s sleep in the “stomach” position. While the body of others, for unknown reasons, will suddenly completely abandon life in similar conditions. So why take the risk? Just put your beloved baby to sleep in a position on his back (and if on his side, then with a retainer in the abdominal area that will not allow the baby to turn face down in his sleep) - in order to minimize the risks as much as possible.

To protect your baby from sudden death syndrome, you must do everything possible to ensure that the baby always (and especially during sleep!) has the opportunity to breathe unhindered.

The climate in the nursery should be cool, with a sufficient percentage of humidity. We've already made a strong case for cool, moist air. Now, to these arguments, another extremely weighty argument has been added - overheating of a baby can cause him to stop breathing and heartbeat. Therefore, come up with a way to maintain a “healthy” climate in the room where the baby sleeps (sleeps on his back): humidity is about 50-60%, temperature is 19-21 degrees. And don’t wrap your child up - you can overheat the baby not only from the outside, but also from the inside.

There should be nothing in the crib except the baby. Make sure that there are no foreign objects in the cradle, cradle, crib or stroller in which the baby sleeps. Believe me, even a handkerchief into which a baby accidentally buries his nose during a night’s sleep can trigger reverse breathing.

If your baby's head while sleeping in a crib (and especially if he is lying face down) is surrounded by a pillow, a toy, the cat Parsley, or anything else, you are potentially putting your baby at risk of suddenly stopping his breathing and heartbeat.

Smokers are screwed. All the same American scientists who “plowed up and down” the topic of sudden infant death syndrome, calculated that if a baby somehow encounters the products of tobacco smoking (smoke from the kitchen, nicotine in the mother’s milk, tar residues on her lips, etc.) etc.), this significantly weakens his immune system and destabilizes his respiratory function.

Support breastfeeding. Thousands of fiery speeches are made every day about the benefits of breastfeeding. Doctors studying the phenomenon of SIDS also added their “5 cents”: the fact is that mother’s breast milk naturally normalizes the process of hormone production in the baby - including the hormone serotonin.

The same serotonin - the hormone of happiness, which, according to some scientists, often saves people from death. All people, without exception: both big and small.