If you have a baby at home, it is essential to know the safe sleeping positions and tips to reduce the Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), which kills nearly 2,500 people each year in the United States.
About 90% of sudden and unexpected infant deaths are due to SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome) and the most effective way to avoid this risk is to have a healthy baby sleep, on the back, this is to say in a supine position.
Here are some positions that can lead to SMSN:
Have the baby sleep on your stomach or side.
Sleep the baby on soft surfaces such as mattresses, sofa, waterbed, pillow or lambswool, with or without a parent.
Cover baby's head or face with bedding, which could cause accidental suffocation and overheating.
Smoking during pregnancy or after delivery.
It is essential to know the safe and dangerous sleeping positions of a baby to cope with the above mentioned risks.
1. sleep on the back
Babies should be placed on their backs for naps, short rest periods and sleep at night.
The "sleep on the back" posture reduces the risk of SIDS in babies because it keeps the airways open.
The US National Institute for Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) has called this position a better sleeping position for babies.
Since the American Academy of Pediatrics formulated the "Back to sleep" recommendation in 1992, the SIDS rate has dropped by more than 50%.
Risks related to the "sleep on the back" position
If the children are placed long in the back in the same position, it could lead to
"positional plagiocephaly" a case of flattened or badly formed head and
"brachycephaly", a flattening of the back of the skull. The form will become
normal by the time they are one year old and rarely require treatment.
Simple repositioning techniques can be used to avoid such conditions:
Rest the baby on the other side of the head rather than on the flattened side.
Reduce the time spent by babies in carriers or car seats.
More and more hugs.
Change the baby's orientation in the cradle so that he does not always tend to see the same things in one direction.
2. sleep on your stomach
Several theories discourage parents from having a baby on their stomachs because:
This could put pressure on the baby's jaw by reducing the airways and limiting the breath.
The baby could choke if he slept face down on a very soft mattress.
He could breathe the microbes present on the mattress.
In rare cases, for medical reasons, doctors may advise parents to have the baby sleep on their stomachs rather than on their backs.
Few doctors believe that sleeping on their stomachs can be beneficial for babies with severe gastroesophageal reflux disease or certain upper respiratory malformations, such as Pierre Robin syndrome, which lead to episodes of acute airway obstruction. . However, no recent study has
supported or refuted the benefits. Healthcare providers should consider the benefits and potential risks before recommending this position.
The danger of vomiting was the most important argument to force the baby to sleep on his stomach, because doctors thought it would be dangerous for the baby to vomit when he was forced to sleep on his back. They used to think that babies can choke on lack of strength to turn their head. However, babies who sleep on their backs have no trouble turning their heads if they are sick.
3. sleep on the side
It is dangerous for babies to sleep on their side as they may end up on the stomach, which increases the risk of SIDS.
Avoid bulk bedding : It is advisable to use a firm mattress for your baby. Experts suggest not to use protective cushions, pillows, fluffy sheets or stuffed animals around the baby in the cradle. In simple terms, anything that could cover a baby's head while sleeping is not recommended.
Keep the cradle simple : do not use a duvet under a baby in the cradle. Let the infant sleep so that he can not slip under the bedding. Use a firm, clean mattress that fits the bed and tuck the sheets in securely. The sides or ends of the cradle must be high enough to prevent the baby from getting out or crawling.
Avoid covering the baby's head : Blankets should only be covered to the baby's chest, with their arms uncovered, to avoid moving the blanket over the head and to avoid choking. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends using a "baby sleeping bag" as a type of bedding to keep it warm without covering the head.
Avoid clothes that are too hot : babies should be dressed lightly to sleep. Avoid packing too much and check if the baby is not warm.
Good sleep environment : It is important to maintain a very cool sleep environment with a temperature of about 20 degrees Celsius for the baby.
Vaccination : A survey conducted by the Berlin School of Public Health on vaccination against diphtheria, tetanus and whooping cough concluded that "increased vaccination coverage of DTP is associated with a decrease in SIDS mortality.
Emphasis should be placed on current recommendations for timely DTP vaccination to prevent not only specific infectious diseases but also potentially SIDS. »Make sure your baby is immune.
Use a pacifier (at sleep time ): The American Academy of Pediatrics considers pacifiers useful for preventing SIDS. However, do not force the baby if he does not want it or if he falls out of his mouth.
Use of electronic devices : To help you sleep peacefully, use one of the many baby monitors, application-powered thermostats, or small alarms available to monitor your baby's sleeping position and vital functions.
Share the same room : Parents should share the same room with the baby for practical breastfeeding and contact. The cradle in which the baby sleeps should be closer to the parents.
Not in the same bed : ideally, babies should not share the bed with their parents, siblings or other children. Twins, triplets and more must sleep separately. Do not share the bed with your baby, especially if you or your partner has been drinking, smoking or taking drugs that may cause deep sleep. Smoking and the use of substances such as drugs or alcohol greatly increase the risk of SIDS and choking in babies if the bed is shared.
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