Syndrome of sudden infant mortality. Sudden Infant Death Syndrome and vaccinations. Consequences of abuse

The less we know about a strange, inexplicable phenomenon, the more terrible it seems to us. Here's the Syndrome sudden death of infants, which is the leading cause of infant deaths between the ages of one month and one year in many countries, very little is known. Despite decades of research, doctors still cannot come up with a clear verdict as to why an outwardly 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 simply stop breathing in a dream for no apparent reason and never wake up again instills colossal horror in the most courageous, loving and caring parental hearts. However, fear is no reason to turn your back on a potential threat. This is a reason for your conscious parental behavior not to allow death to approach the cradle even a mile away. And believe me - if the danger is not known, this does not mean that it is impossible to reduce the risks!

Sudden Infant Death Syndrome: a diagnosis without a diagnosis?

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

In other words, these kids do not find any mechanical, toxic or any other abnormalities or injuries, not to mention any obvious diseases. 82% of these kids die right in their sleep - they just 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 of “sudden death syndrome” is a classic example of a diagnosis of exclusion. It is put as the main and only cause of death of infants aged 1 to 12 months, for whom no diseases were observed, proper care and attention was carried out, and with which no accidents occurred.

The processes that lead to the death of babies are a sudden, inexplicable stoppage of cardiac and respiratory activity.

If it makes it easier for you, you can clothe the dull medical notion of causeless infant death in any "human" phrases: these children simply leave; barely having time to be born, for some unknown reason, they “hurry up” to return back ... And there are no intelligible explanations for this phenomenon today.

To officially diagnose "sudden death syndrome", the doctor must study in detail medical card child, the history of his birth and conditions of detention, as well as an autopsy. And only in the absence of any other explanations for the death of the baby, the physician has reason to put in the column "cause of death" - SIDS.

In the States, whose statistics 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 old is the leading cause infant mortality. This is somewhat shocking, isn't it? It would be time to "sin" for infections, congenital diseases or even accidents - but no, oddly enough, SIDS is among the favorites.

Sudden death syndrome: which babies are at risk

Despite the fact that the very concept of sudden infant death syndrome is still a mystery to husbands from 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 they reach the age of one. So, who is at risk:

Infants older than 2 months but younger than 4. Doctors who have been literally “dissecting” the topic of sudden infant death syndrome for more than a decade 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 a dream, while their survival instincts are not yet developed. In other words, if the baby does not have enough oxygen, he will not take any maneuver (does not turn, does not cry, does not throw up his head) to save himself. Babies under 2 months old are unable to roll over, while babies over 4 months old gradually develop self-preservation instincts.
Children with reduced immunity. The fact is that "strength" and underdevelopment (according to age) immune system the child directly affects cardiac activity and respiration. Strong immunity - more stable heartbeat and breathing. In the same category (precisely “thanks” to weakened immunity) fall, for example, premature babies, children of parents-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. In part, this ratio can be explained by the fact that immunity in infancy is somewhat higher in future ladies than in gentlemen.
Children experiencing overheating or hypothermia. Both environmental conditions cause the infant's breathing to deviate from normal rhythm work. And overheating in this situation is worse than hypothermia - when the baby is cold, his breathing and heart activity slow down, fading away gradually. But if he is hot and especially stuffy!, his breathing and heart can simply stop.
Babies 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, which has a more or less plausible medical justification, is directly related to the production of the body .... Serotonin, that is.

Studies on the topic of sudden infant death syndrome, which the United States Department of Health and Human Services have been accumulating for several years, show that in the body of babies who died with 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 only as the hormone of happiness - is directly involved in many vital physiological processes, including cardiac and respiratory activities, the conclusions themselves "suggested themselves" in the inquisitive heads of physicians: a lack of serotonin, perhaps, is physiological cause, destabilizing the processes of respiration and heartbeat. And in this case, the position on the stomach or the stuffy climate in the room is already more of a catalyst for future tragedy than its basis.

The researchers hope to develop a test that will measure the level of serotonin in the blood of a child, and, depending on this, plan activities that potentially reduce the risk of sudden death syndrome.

Death hid at the cradle... What to do?

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

All these measures naturally were formed from the descriptive statistics accumulated by physicians of the details of the death of infants who received a posthumous diagnosis of SIDS. In other words, by eliminating risk factors, we can greatly improve an infant's chances of fighting Sudden Death Syndrome. So, the measures to prevent sudden infant death syndrome include:

A baby up to a year old should take a pose on his back or on his side during sleep. This seemingly insignificant detail plays a huge role!

In Western European countries, statistics on sudden infant death syndrome have been conducted 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 the back in terms of preventing SIDS. And already in the late 1990s, the terrible statistics in Europe decreased by 2.5 times!

There are several good reasons to support the supine position while sleeping:

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

How might these circumstances affect different children- no one can predict. The body of some babies will easily overcome all the “obstacles” with breathing and have a great sleep in the “on the stomach” position. Whereas the body of others, due to unknown reasons, suddenly completely refuses to live in similar conditions. So why take the risk? Just put your beloved baby to sleep in the supine position (and if on the side, then with a latch in the abdomen that will not allow the baby to roll face down in sleep) in order to minimize the risks as much as possible.

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

The climate in the nursery should be cool, with a sufficient percentage of humidity. We have already made a strong case for cool and humid air. Now, one more extremely weighty argument has been added to these arguments - overheating of the 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 (sleeping on his back!): humidity is about 50-60%, temperature is 19-21 degrees. And do not wrap the child up - you can overheat the baby not only from the outside, but also “from the inside”.

There should be nothing in the crib other than 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, in which the baby accidentally buries his nose during a night's sleep, can provoke the occurrence of recurrent breathing.

If your baby's head, who sleeps in the crib (and especially if he is lying face down) is surrounded by a pillow, a toy, Petrushka the cat, or anything else, you are potentially putting your child at risk of sudden respiratory arrest and heartbeat.

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

Support breastfeeding. About the benefits breastfeeding thousands of fiery speeches are made every day. Physicians who study the SIDS phenomenon also added their “5 kopecks”: the fact is that breast milk mother naturally normalizes the process of hormone production in the baby - including the hormone serotonin.

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

Fetal death can occur: before childbirth (in the antenatal period), during childbirth and after them (in the postnatal period), It can be both non-violent and violent.

Nonviolent the death of the fetus and may be due either to underdevelopment (non-viability), or the presence of malformations incompatible with life (anencephaly, eventration of internal organs, etc.). In addition, non-violent death of the fetus and newborn can be caused by various pathological processes or birth trauma.

In more than half of all deaths, the cause of death is intrauterine asphyxia(which may be based on changes in both the fetus and the mother) from circulatory disorders, placenta previa and its infarction, true nodes of the umbilical cord, etc. In other cases, non-violent death can be caused by acute infectious diseases, some chronic diseases(for example, syphilis, etc.).

A common cause of death of a child during childbirth is birth trauma, which occurs more easily in immature fetuses, with a mother, with large fruit and in protracted labor. can be expressed in bone fractures, intracranial hemorrhage in the membranes and substance of the brain, in damage to the bones of the skeleton: clavicles, cervical vertebrae; in injuries of internal organs (subcapsular hematomas of the liver, apoplexy of the kidneys and adrenal glands, hemorrhages in the lung tissue, etc.).

violent neonatal death during childbirth is rare.

Here we should note the injuries that occur during self-help during childbirth, which occur outside the obstetric institution and without assistance. Trying to help herself, having no experience, a woman in labor with her hands damages the presenting part of the fetus, more often the head. In this case, abrasions, bruises, wounds, lower dislocations, and bone fractures may occur.

After childbirth, the violent death of newborns can be the result of infanticide, murder and accident.

As already indicated, infanticide can be passive (when a newborn is left without care and help) and active.

With active infanticide (and the murder of a newborn), death often occurs from various kinds mechanical asphyxia.

There are cases when a newborn is thrown into reservoirs, cesspools. In these cases, death occurs from hypothermia, etc. There are cases of death from closing the respiratory openings with hands, soft objects. It should be borne in mind that during childbirth outside a hospital, when the woman in labor is alone and cannot provide necessary assistance newborn, he can bury his face in a soft object and suffocate.

As a method of infanticide, strangulation with a noose can be used, which can be used as rags, twine, sometimes parts of the mother's linen or clothes.

It should be borne in mind that sometimes a loop of the umbilical cord is found around the baby's neck. There may be entanglement of the umbilical cord around the neck during childbirth. At the same time, the possibility of killing a newborn by strangulation with the umbilical cord cannot be ruled out.

Mechanical damage as a way of infanticide is less common. There may be damage to vital important organs blunt or sharp objects. Blunt force injuries must be distinguished from birth injury and injuries that occur during the so-called rapid childbirth.

Control questions
1. What kind of baby is considered a newborn?
2. Define the concept of "infanticide".
3. How to determine if full-term and mature?
4. How to set a deadline intrauterine life newborn?
5. What is the difference between "fetus" and "newborn baby"?
6. How can you tell if a baby was born alive or dead?
7. What confirms the viability of a newborn baby?
8. How to determine the duration of extrauterine life?
9. What are the most common causes of infant death:
a) before childbirth;
b) during childbirth;
c) after childbirth.

Infants, whose age varies from 2 to 4 months, are most susceptible to sudden death syndrome. By six months, this phenomenon is extremely rarely recorded, and among 9-month-old infants and older children, only isolated cases of SIDS have been noted.

The conducted research helped scientists to find out the most dangerous period infant mortality, but so far the exact cause of the sudden death of infants has not been found out. There are several main predisposing SIDS factors. Pathological anatomical studies have proven some connection between underdevelopment separate parts brain and infant mortality rates.

Understanding Sudden Infant Death Syndrome

It was not until the late 1960s that the medical community faced the acute question of mortality in infancy. It was during this period that the term SIDS was introduced. Of course, children have died before, but only at the end of the last century, pediatricians around the world began to "sound the alarm", holding all sorts of campaigns to try to prevent the development of this syndrome.

Although infants are able to quickly adapt to new conditions, their mortality due to external or internal causes is still high. Normally healthy-looking children die as a result of various pathologies development, due to past infections and often as a result of previous injuries. Unsuspecting parents put their baby to bed and then find him dead there.

A sleeping baby may experience respiratory problems. As a rule, its short-term delay for children is considered the norm. As soon as the level of oxygen in the blood drops, signals from the brain cause the child to wake up and restore breathing.

Only in rare cases, sleep apnea is fatal. If parents began to notice that their baby holds their breath for 10-15 seconds in a dream, and several stops occur within an hour, then this serious reason to show the child to the doctor.

As a rule, the cause of death is determined at autopsy by the pathologist, and only when this fails, the diagnosis of SIDS is made. According to statistics:

African American children are much less likely to die from SIDS;
about three children out of a thousand who died at the autopsy fail to identify the cause of death;
more than half of the dead are boys;
in 90% of cases, 2-4-month-old children die;
SIDS risks are highest when a child reaches 13 weeks of age;
the death of a child in more than half of the cases is associated with the wrong behavior of the parents;
in 40% of children infancy on the eve of death, symptoms of a cold were noted;
most often, the development of the syndrome of sudden death of a child contributes to the period of cold weather.

Parents whose children are at risk need to make every effort to create the most favorable living conditions for their child. They need to be more attentive to the whims of the baby and devote most of their free time to him.

Factors that can provoke this phenomenon

This article talks about typical ways to solve your questions, but each case is unique! If you want to know from me how to solve exactly your problem - ask your question. It's fast and free!

So far, such a phenomenon as SIDS has not been studied in full. Medical workers remain at a loss when caring parents suddenly die healthy child. No one can answer with 100% certainty what caused Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. The most likely provoking factors are:

stop breathing during sleep;
disturbed heart rate;
pathology of the coronary vessels supplying oxygen to the brain;
deterioration in the general state of health of the child against the background of psycho-emotional stress;
infection;
compression of the vertebral arteries.

It is also worth highlighting some factors that can adversely affect the health of the child and lead to sudden sudden death at night:

nicotine and drug addiction of the mother during the period of gestation;
delay prenatal development baby;
the birth of a child prematurely;
incorrect position of the baby in the crib during sleep (on the stomach);
improperly selected bedding (large pillow, soft blanket, etc.);
foreign objects in the crib (bottle, nipple, toys, etc.);
excessive air temperature in the children's room;
parents smoking.

Many dead babies could have been saved - most often children die through the fault of their parents. If at the autopsy the doctor finds traces of violent death, then SIDS qualifies as murder. It is not uncommon for her own mother to cover the baby with a pillow so that she no longer hears his crying.

parental care and attention are the main guarantee of a long and happy life child

Sometimes parents can inadvertently harm their helpless child. Due to the fact that the neck muscles of the baby are weak, any careless movement or shaking of the baby leads to concussions or bruises of the brain (we recommend reading:).

Often the baby calms down after a shake, he can lose consciousness and fall into a coma. Very often children die in their sleep when their own mother, under the influence sleeping pills or alcohol, with his body leans on a nearby sleeping helpless baby.

How high is the risk of developing SIDS?

For newborns and infants up to 2 months, sudden death syndrome is not typical. The peak of deaths occurs at the age of 13 weeks. If the child has moved to the next age category, he is already more than 6 months old, in this case, the risks of SIDS are reduced to 10%.

One-year-old children die in their sleep extremely rarely, only isolated cases are recorded. Adolescents and adults who were completely healthy can also die suddenly with increased physical activity, and being at rest.

SIDS most commonly occurs in children from birth to 1 year of age. As soon as the baby learns to roll over, sit down and stand up, then the risks of sudden death syndrome approach zero. From this moment on, the child can change the position of the body in a dream, taking the most comfortable position for himself.

Is the syndrome possible in an adult?

Unfortunately, sudden nocturnal death syndrome is also found among the adult population, so no one can say exactly until what age this phenomenon should be feared. Year after year, deaths are recorded in the world when healthy people from 18 to 30 years old die for no clear reason.

Although many studies have brought scientists closer to unraveling the causes of SIDS, the phenomenon of sudden adult death requires serious study. The scientific community insists on the need to introduce a new term SIDS (Sudden Adult Death Syndrome). In young people, cardiac activity stops or breathing stops during sleep. The autopsy reveals no pathological changes capable of causing death. On the contrary, in most cases the deceased was distinguished by good health.

Based on the available and very conflicting statistics, it can be assumed that on average in the world every week without visible reasons 4 people die. More than 200 cases of SHS are recorded per year.

If you look at other data obtained by scientists in the UK, the mortality rate from SHS is simply amazing. In this country, 3,500 people die every year for no reason.

First aid for a child with sudden respiratory arrest

Health workers in the maternity hospital and district pediatricians should conduct conversations with newly-made parents so that they, in turn, can immediately provide emergency assistance to your child. Knowing the terrible symptoms of sudden infant death syndrome, you can avoid the tragedy.

After stopping breathing, the child can be saved if measures are taken in time. Symptoms of SIDS can last from 1 to 30 minutes. Usually in infants, breathing becomes weak. The child does not show activity, turn blue skin, muscle tone is reduced.

As soon as parents suspect that the baby's heart rhythm is disturbed or there are breathing problems, you should immediately call an ambulance team. You can not waste a minute, you need to try to restore cardiac and respiratory activity, without panicking and keeping your composure. To do this, do the following:

with fingers several times intensively hold along the spine;
shake the baby lightly, trying to wake him up;
massage feet, hands and earlobes.

Thanks to such actions, the child can be brought to life. He wakes up, his breathing and heart rate is restored. However, if all the manipulations performed did not give positive result, you don’t need to stop, you need to massage again and again until an ambulance arrives.

It is also necessary to give the baby a heart massage and chest. All actions must be performed with extreme caution, since the bones of the baby are still too fragile, you can injure him.

Is it possible to prevent the development of the syndrome?

Thanks to many years of research, doctors have been able to prove the effectiveness of preventive measures in the fight against SIDS. You can reduce your risk of sudden nocturnal infant death by:

Stop smoking, as tobacco smoke is highly toxic. Its constant impact on the fragile body of the child is unacceptable.
There should be no foreign objects in the crib. Children under 1 year old do not need a pillow, their mattress should be hard.
You can not cover the baby with a warm blanket during sleep. The baby is not able to control his movements, he can easily pull the blanket over himself, thereby limiting access to fresh air.
Many experts are of the opinion that it is better for a child to sleep with his mother. So she can control the baby's sleep. It must be understood that the use of alcohol or sleeping pills in this case is unacceptable.
When placing the baby in the crib for sleep, it is necessary to lay him on his back, and take his head to the side, or on the side, fixing the body on both sides with a positioner.

If during pregnancy a woman takes care of her health, regularly attends a antenatal clinic and follows the recommendations of doctors, then she has every chance to give birth and raise healthy child. It has also been observed that breastfed babies have good health and adapt better to the environment than formula-fed babies.

Based on the foregoing, a simple conclusion can be drawn: parents need to healthy lifestyle life, to pay more attention to your child and to follow the basic rules of hygiene of children's sleep.

If the baby is at risk for SIDS, parents should take care in advance to purchase equipment specially designed for such cases. So during the sleep of the child, you can track his heart rate, in case of violation of which the alarm will go off. A respiratory monitor is placed next to the crib, and electrodes are attached to the child's body.

SIDS statistics in Russia

Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) is not a disease. This is a diagnosis that is made only in cases where it is impossible to establish true reason death of an infant. At autopsy, there are no pathologies, no traces of violence, a lethal outcome is diagnosed as a result of SIDS.

In the Russian Federation, statistics of sudden deaths among child population. According to the statistics obtained, in Russia, the rate of sudden death per 1,000 children born is 0.43.

Educational activities of the Foundation for the Study of Infant Mortality began in 1991. Since then, the number of infant deaths in sleep has dropped significantly. Parents began to listen to the recommendations of specialists, tragic cases decreased by 75%, but SIDS continues to take the lives of babies.

Sudden Infant Death Syndrome is the death of a child between the ages of 1 week and a year. As a rule, it comes unexpectedly. At the same time, there are no signs at autopsy various diseases or developmental disabilities that could cause the death of the baby. Pathology is still not fully understood, therefore, the main triggers of the terrible syndrome have not been established. Scientists still continue to consider this phenomenon one of the most mysterious and tragic at the same time.

Statistics show that to a greater extent this disease boys suffer (about 60%), and the maximum number of deaths occurs at 3-6 months of a child's life. And most often children die late at night or early in the morning. The number of tragic cases also depends on the season. It has been proven that in winter and spring, due to common infections, deaths among children are recorded more often.

About pathology

Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) officially appeared in the early 60s of the 19th century, although it had been seen almost everywhere before. But it was not until the 1980s that a group of doctors began to campaign against the occurrence of this disease.

The dangerous disorder is often referred to as the exclusion syndrome. Typically, the risk group is: infectious diseases, tumors, various malformations and injuries. Often, the cause of a child's death can still be determined through a thorough examination of the medical history and autopsy results. But even such studies do not always provide detailed answers to all exciting questions. So, sometimes even an absolutely healthy child may simply not wake up in the morning. In such cases, doctors talk about SIDS.

The risk of the syndrome increases dramatically with a combination of three factors: genetic changes, the critical age of the child, and inappropriate environmental conditions for healthy development. For example, a healthy baby with a lack of oxygen during sleep will definitely wake up and turn his head. In case of pathology defense mechanism does not work: children bury their faces in the mattress, the oxygen content in the blood decreases, the child suffocates and dies. Smoking of his parents can also lead to the death of a newborn, since a bad habit also reduces the level of a protective reflex.

Causes of the syndrome

Numerous scientists and pediatricians have not yet been able to come to a unified decision and identify absolutely all the causes of the development of the disease. But experts have proven that most often death occurs due to dysfunction of the heart muscle or due to a disorder of the respiratory system. So, in a dream, any child's cough reflex is weakened and muscle tone decreases. With the syndrome, the body of a sick baby will not be able to cope with it. There will be suffocation, death will come.

There is evidence that SIDS may be the result of congenital disorders of the brain stem.. This conclusion was made by a group of doctors from Boston. They believe that the pathology has nothing to do with the child's sleep, and death occurs due to respiratory arrest.

Researchers in Texas believe that dangerous state occurs due to the loss of a specific gene. It is responsible for the functioning of brain signals and is involved in the regulation of the breathing process during the accumulation of carbon dioxide. In this case, the baby may die due to the relaxation of reflexes. The risks increase significantly if the room has poor ventilation or the child constantly overheats.

Some scientists hypothesize that an unsafely equipped sleeping place for an infant is the culprit for SIDS.. A mattress or pillow that is too soft can lead to the death of a baby when he sleeps on his stomach. They "block" the baby's nose, causing respiratory arrest. That is why many pediatricians advise choosing a hard mattress for a newborn and completely abandoning the pillow.

The time of year also affects the number of deaths. It has been proven that during cold weather, when the number of respiratory diseases especially increases, the death of newborns is recorded more often.

In asocial families, the threat to a child's life increases significantly. The bad habits of parents and the lack of favorable sanitary conditions can undermine the health of the baby.

It has also been found that there is genetic predisposition to the development of the syndrome. Its first signs are breath holding or short-term cardiac arrest in infancy.

Risk factors

Scientists still think that main reason The occurrence of SIDS is a malfunction of the neurohumoral system. Also, almost all newborns experience sleep apnea. But if the disorder recurs several times per hour and lasts about 15 seconds or more, you should immediately contact your pediatrician. Exactly the same as in the case of a dangerous syndrome due to disruption of the cardiac system.

Experts identify other common risk factors, which include:

Male sex of the newborn;
Age from 1 week to 1 year;
Doom blood relative from SIDS;
Small birth weight of the baby;
Intrauterine diseases;
fetal hypoxia;
prematurity;
Multiple births;
miscarriages and abortions;
Injury at birth;
Mother's age is less than 16 years;
Frequent overheating of the newborn;
Poor ventilation of the room where the baby sleeps;
Smoking next to the baby;
Cold season;
Baby sleep on stomach
Too soft featherbed;
Too tight swaddling.

There is also a version that pathologies are most susceptible to infants who regularly experience psycho-emotional stress. Sometimes doctors are inclined to think that the death could have occurred due to co-sleeping child and parents.

Symptoms

The death of a child due to a dangerous pathology can last for 30 minutes, but the pathology develops at lightning speed. That is why it is important to know its first signs in order to try to help the child and save his life.

If you suspect the risk of developing sudden death syndrome, parents should definitely pay attention to general state baby. If for a long time there is a weakening or holding of breath, an unhealthy cough or unnatural movements of facial expressions, it is necessary to call ambulance. Often the condition is accompanied by general weakness, reduced muscle tone, blue skin.

More attention to the health of the newborn should be shown especially in cases where:

The baby's temperature rises rapidly.
The kid refuses to eat.
The child becomes lethargic and inactive.
The newborn is sick with a respiratory disease.
The baby sleeps in unsuitable conditions for this.
The child falls asleep after prolonged crying or tantrums.

What can be confused with sudden infant death syndrome?

There are cases in history when the parents of a newborn child tried to pass off his violent death as sudden infant death syndrome. In this case, real investigations and forensic examinations were carried out, which helped to establish real reason the death of a child. So what can pathology be confused with?

Consequences of child abuse

The death of a newborn can occur not only due to any diseases or injuries, but also due to inadequate and cruel treatment of the parents. Moreover, stories about beating their own children over the years are only gaining momentum.

It is not always possible for doctors to immediately establish the true cause of death of a child at the scene of the tragedy. Injuries can be hidden, for example, in the case of shaking the baby. The blood vessels of the brain rupture in a newborn, he loses consciousness, coma or clinical death occurs.

Thoughts about child abuse in the family can also be prompted by a repeated fatal case with SIDS syndrome.

Accident, suffocation

Hormonal surges, lack of sleep and endless care for a child can cause a mental breakdown in a young mother. In this state, women do not control their behavior, cease to adequately assess reality, which ultimately leads to the most dire consequences. That is why it is important that the mother really gets enough sleep and can at least sometimes rest during the day.

Sometimes, due to fatigue and your own inattention, there is a risk of inadvertent accidental suffocation during the sleep of parents with a child. It especially increases when the mother is intoxicated or long time takes medication for insomnia.

Thus, back in the 19th century, a strict ban was announced on the joint sleep of children and their parents, and the “accidental” death of a baby meant a deliberate murder. Therefore, young parents should be more careful and equip the child with his own safe sleeping place.

Various kinds of infections

In newborns, many infectious diseases can occur atypically. Therefore, sometimes, even with the most severe damage to the internal organs, the symptoms remain almost invisible. This is especially true in premature babies. Therefore, before staging SIDS, the pathologist must make sure that the death was not due to meningitis, pneumonia, or other similar diseases.

Diagnosis of pathology

To diagnose the disease, doctors usually use special equipment that helps to monitor the condition of the child. These are various cardiorespiratory monitors that detect heart rhythm failure; breathing monitors; respiratory monitors (they can even be installed at home under the bottom of the baby's crib). Also, the newborn needs to undergo an x-ray, an echoencephalogram and an electrocardiogram.

Differential Diagnosis

Differential diagnosis helps specialists exclude acute heart failure, kidney pathology, botulism and forced asphyxia. If the results of the autopsy do not reveal grounds for the sudden death of the child, SIDS is diagnosed.

Treatment of the syndrome

Unfortunately, the therapy of this syndrome still causes difficulties for doctors. Therefore, first of all, experts start from the main cause of the pathology. The main thing in the treatment of the syndrome is to have time to help the baby in time.

What to do if the newborn becomes ill?

If parents notice that their baby is behaving differently - his breathing is disturbed or his pulse is lost, it is necessary to immediately call the doctors. But there is no time to lose, since every minute is precious, so adults should try to restore the functioning of the cardiac and respiratory systems on their own. To do this, you need to give the child a massage:

Run your fingers along the spine several times;
Lightly shake the baby in your arms;
Perform a relaxing massage of the hands, feet and earlobes.

These simple steps can save a child's life. But if they did not bring a positive result, it is necessary to proceed to an indirect massage of the heart and the entire chest. Movements should be smooth and light, as the bones of the newborn are still quite fragile. The main thing when providing assistance is to discard panic and think only about a good outcome.

How to prevent the occurrence of a dangerous disease?

First of all, you should create a really safe and comfortable place for the baby to sleep. Various studies Doctors over the years have proven that a newborn who sleeps on his stomach is in great danger every day. Babies should not be put to bed immediately after a tantrum or crying. More recently, it has become known that sleeping on your side can also provoke SIDS. Sleeping on your back is considered truly healthy. In this case, only underdevelopment of the jaws or a pronounced reflux of bile into the esophagus can be attributed to contraindications. It is difficult for such babies to burp, so while sleeping on their backs, there is a risk of vomit entering the respiratory tract.

Breath monitoring

To reduce the number of deaths from a dangerous syndrome, scientists have created special respiratory monitoring devices that can be used even at home. They not only fully control the child's breathing, but also measure the pulse, as well as the amount of oxygen in the tissues. Such devices are similar to a baby monitor, which plays a certain sound signal in case of heart rhythm disturbances or long-term delays in breathing. Such observation is recommended for families whose children are at risk:

Premature infants with low weight;
Toddlers with recurring sleep apnea;
Newborns with disorders of the respiratory or cardiac system;
Children who have had a loss of consciousness.

Prevention

In most cases, it is not possible to avoid the sudden death of a baby, but it is real to reduce the risk of developing pathology. To do this, you need to be registered with a pediatrician, inform the doctor about all the current diseases of the child. You must also follow these tips:

Avoid overheating. The optimal temperature for newborns is 18-20 degrees, so you should not put your baby to sleep in a room where the temperature exceeds this value. At night, it is better to dress the baby in cotton clothes and cover with a thin blanket.
Remove all soft objects from the crib, including pillows and toys. Such measures will help protect the baby from possible suffocation. It is worth abandoning the sides, as they only collect dust and impair air circulation. And instead of a blanket, you can use a special sleeping bag for babies.
Put the baby to sleep strictly on his back. It has been proven that such a recommendation reduces the risk of the syndrome.

Before going to bed, the baby should be allowed to burp air if the feeding was just recently. Usually for this child is held as a "soldier", pressed to him in an upright position.
It is worth refusing to share the baby’s sleep with parents, and if such a need nevertheless arises, then the child should be provided with enough free space for sleep. At the same time, adults should be absolutely sober and not overly tired.
It is not recommended to refuse nipples before going to bed. But it is better to start using them from the second month of life so that breastfeeding is not disturbed.

Young parents should not be afraid of SIDS. It is in their power to do everything so that the child is born and grows up healthy and happy man. The main thing is to lead a healthy lifestyle and not leave the baby alone.

Vaccinations and SIDS

There is an opinion that vaccinations and vaccinations against many diseases significantly undermine the health of the child and lead to various disorders, including sudden infant death syndrome. Indeed, the time of vaccination very often coincides with the peak frequency of sudden death of a newborn. But numerous studies have proven that in most cases these are just coincidences. Moreover, the absence of some vaccinations, for example, against whooping cough, can only increase the risk of a dangerous pathology.

Help for parents who have lost a child

The death of a loved one is a blow to anyone. And when it comes to death own child, it becomes especially difficult to survive the tragic event. In this case, you need to understand only one thing: SIDS cannot be felt and foreseen, which means that the parents are not to blame for the death of the baby. You need to learn to live again, seek help from a psychologist. Almost all families in the future manage to give birth and raise a healthy baby, and sometimes more than one. The main thing is to believe that the best is yet to come.

conclusions

In conclusion, it should be said that the sudden and unexpected death of a newborn is extremely rare and it is almost impossible to predict the development of the syndrome. It is only necessary to draw the attention of parents to the age until which the disease poses a great danger to the life of their child. It is during this period that adults should be especially attentive to the baby. They also need to walk and play with the baby as often as possible, give up bad habits and monitor the condition of the baby’s sleeping place: remove all soft objects from his crib and replace the heavy blanket with a special light sleeping bag. In this case, the risk of sudden infant death syndrome is drastically reduced, which means that motherhood will really only bring joy.

Video: about sudden infant death syndrome and its prevention

Death small child is always a tragedy for his parents. But an illness, an accident, a catastrophe - this is at least understandable. However, from time to time, children simply die in their sleep for no apparent reason.

Of course, doctors in the event of the death of a child will do their best to look for the cause. The baby's card, the circumstances of death are studied in detail, all possible studies and analyses. Sometimes it is possible to reveal hidden pathologies, sometimes - the negligence of parents. But in some cases, the cause is really impossible to identify.

And then doctors talk about sudden infant death syndrome. This syndrome is called differently. There are variants such as Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, often called death in the cradle, since children usually die in their sleep. But the essence of the phenomenon from the name change does not change at all.

From time to time, on the Internet or in magazines, SIDS is called the "leading cause of infant death." The horror of young parents reading articles like this is hard to imagine. In fact, this happens extremely rarely, 5-6 cases per thousand children.

Causes of SIDS

Since we are talking about sudden, that is, inexplicable death, it would not be entirely correct to talk about the reasons. This phenomenon has been studied by physicians and scientists for more than 60 years, and reliable data have not yet been obtained.

There are several theories about what might be considered the cause of sudden infant death. But none of them have been confirmed yet.

Thus, some scientists argue that SIDS can be caused by brain disorders . These disturbances directly affect the respiratory center. Their essence is the lack of a specific protein, which ensures the reaction of the child's body to a change in the rhythm of breathing due to an excess of carbon dioxide.

According to other studies, the reason lies in disorders of the immune system . It has been found that the blood of children with SIDS often contains a large number of white blood cells. It is believed that the proteins of these cells can interact with brain cells, causing the child to fall into too deep sleep.

Metabolic disorders are also named among possible causes this phenomenon. Due to the lack of certain enzymes in the body of a child, it may be difficult to form fatty acids. Changes in the structure of these acids, in turn, cause irreversible respiratory disorders.

Risk factors

Unfortunately, all these are just hypotheses that do not have confirmation, which means that it is difficult to talk about the prevention of sudden infant death syndrome. But researchers still managed to identify some risk factors. Some of them do not depend on us, others are completely controllable. On their basis, preventive measures are also formed that can significantly reduce the risk of developing the syndrome. However, we will talk about prevention later, now it is worth talking in detail about risk factors.

It is reliably known that smoking parents are more likely to experience sudden death of a child.. If a woman herself during pregnancy smoked or was regularly near people who smoke, if someone from the family smokes in the presence of a child or in the same room where the baby lives, if mom or dad regularly breathes nicotine fumes on the baby, the risk of sudden death in sleep increases. The same goes for taking drugs and alcohol while pregnant.

Surprisingly, even frequency of visits to the doctor during pregnancy and after childbirth can affect the risk of developing SIDS. It has been noticed that women who register for pregnancy on time, do not miss examinations and regularly take their child to the pediatrician, significantly reduce the risk of death of their baby.

Too much young age mothers may also be a risk factor. However, experts do not agree on the issue of a specific age threshold. Someone says that a mother under 20 is already at risk, others lower this bar to 17 years.

Social conditions affect the risk of SIDS. It is noticed that in dysfunctional families children die more often. Moreover, usually these deaths occur on weekends and holidays, when parents tend to want to relax. It can be assumed that part of the risk factor is the neglect of the parents to the child.

Not the least important baby's sleeping place and posture . The safest is the crib. As for the position, it is undesirable for the baby to sleep on the tummy.

One should not lose sight of such a factor as seasonality. Most often, SIDS occurs in winter period . In addition, the gender of the baby also matters. On average, boys are more likely to die from SIDS than girls.

There is also age , in which SIDS most often occurs - 13 weeks. Children from 2 to 4 months are at risk, then the frequency of deaths decreases, after six months this risk is even lower, and after a year such deaths practically do not occur. As well as up to 2 months.

What to do if the child stops breathing?

Is there anything you can do if you wake up at night and realize that the baby is not breathing? As in any extreme situation The main thing here is not to panic. It depends on the speed of your actions whether the baby will survive. To get started, touch it, slow it down. Perhaps you just imagined, and the child is still breathing, just quietly and slowly, in a dream. If the child does not respond to your actions, and his forehead and chest turn blue, you must act immediately.

If you know how to do CPR - cardiopulmonary resuscitation for children, start right away, have someone else call an ambulance. If there is someone alone with the child, then first you need to carry out CPR for 2 minutes, and only then call an ambulance. After which CPR is resumed.

Since it is very difficult to ascertain death on your own, it is necessary to continue until the doctors arrive or until the child begins to breathe on his own. Even if it seems to you that everything is hopeless, in no case should you stop.

Prevention of SIDS

Unfortunately, it is impossible to completely prevent the development of sudden infant death syndrome. But you can significantly reduce the risk. To do this, it is quite enough to carry out simple preventive measures.

At the same time, as you probably already guessed, you will have to start even before birth, and ideally - before the conception of a child. To begin with, both parents, or at least the mother, need to refuse from bad habits if she has them. Smoking, drinking and using drugs during pregnancy is unacceptable.

Do not allow smoking near you. Passive smoking will also adversely affect the child.

When the baby is born, you can not smoke in his presence. If one of the relatives is prone to this bad habit, then send him to smoke outside and do not let him near the child after smoking.

As soon as possible get registered by pregnancy. Visit your doctor regularly and follow all his recommendations. Such behavior must be observed after the birth of the child. It also needs to be regularly shown to the local pediatrician. This is especially important if your child is at risk for SIDS.

As long as possible support breastfeeding . This will not only help reduce the risk of sudden death, but also improve the health of the crumbs. And the emotional connection between mother and child will be stronger.

Many parents practice co-sleeping. Of course, each question decides itself. However, experts believe that up to six months the most safe place for the child is his bed.

Moreover, this bed must be properly equipped.

No soft mattresses, voluminous blankets, large soft toys.
Purchase a firm mattress that matches the size of the crib.
Cover it with the right size cotton bed linen.
Pick up a warm, but not too voluminous blanket.
Cover the child with it only up to the line of the shoulders.
Try to put the child so that his legs are in contact with the back of the bed, this prevents slipping, as a result of which the head of the baby may be covered with a blanket.
If you use a sleeping bag to sleep, make sure it is the right size for your child. A bag that is too large can cause head wrapping.

It is noticed that overheating also increases the risk of SIDS. Therefore, remember that the child should not sleep next to the battery, heater, on open sunshine, near the stove and fireplace. Maintain indoors comfortable temperature. 18-19 degrees is considered optimal. Do not wrap the baby in warm sweaters, put to sleep under several blankets.

It has been established that not the last place in the prevention of SIDS is occupied by choice correct posture for sleep . Most often, sudden death finds children in the prone position. Various researchers offer different interpretations of this fact. The truth is that the exact cause has not yet been established.

In America, there was a massive "Backtosleep" campaign, during which parents were urged to put their children to sleep on their backs, not on their stomachs. After 4 years, the action gave its first results. More than 50% of parents began to put their children to sleep on their backs, and the number of cases of SIDS decreased by a factor of three.

Of course, after six months, children often roll over on their stomach. If possible, shift them to the back. True, there is no point in constantly monitoring the child and his posture either. There is no need to wake up in the middle of the night to do this.

Observe these simple tips and remember that SIDS is extremely rare. Take elementary preventive measures, and the risk of encountering this problem will drop to almost zero.

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