Room Temperature Can Help Reduce the Risk of SIDS

Room Temperature Can Help Reduce the Risk of SIDS: Parents no longer have to lose sleep due to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) thanks to the latest research findings, and they can take a proactive role in reducing worry and risk to their babies. SIDS appears to be caused by a combination of factors including difficulty breathing, underdevelopment of the infant's cardio-respiratory control function, dangerous sleep habits, and a variety of medical conditions. Dr. William Sears, a father of eight and a pediatrician for more than 30 years, suggests that the following SIDS risk reduction measures can help parents reduce their risk and create a nurturing, safe, and comfortable environment for their little one, well before natally and post-natally.

The first step, according to Dr. Sears, is to provide your baby with a healthy uterine environment. Although the risk of SIDS in premature babies is higher, the good news is that more than 99 percent of preterm babies do not die from SIDS and expectant mothers can take precautions to reduce their babies' risk of SIDS with prenatal smarts. selection. She suggests getting good prenatal care, feeding yourself lots of highly nutritious foods, and giving your baby a drug-free and smoke-free uterus are three great ways to reduce risk.

He also recommends that your baby stay warm, but not too warm. Excessive build-up, and consequently overheating, have been shown to increase the risk of SIDS. Overheating can interfere with normal neurological control of sleep and breathing. The respiratory control centers in the brain are affected by abnormal temperature changes, and SIDS researchers believe that excess heat can cause the respiratory control centers in some babies to fail.

Make sure your baby's head is not covered, and put your baby to sleep on his side or on his back. When a baby sleeps on his stomach, or on his stomach, with his cheeks and abdominal organs against the bed, this main area of ​​heat release closes, thereby conserving heat. Also, never pack a sick baby, as sick babies tend to have a fever, and bundling up only increases body temperature. Keep the room temperature where your baby sleeps around 68 degrees, unless you have a premature baby or a newborn who weighs less than eight pounds; then you may wish to raise the temperature a few degrees. As a general rule of thumb, wear and cover your baby with as much or as little clothing and blankets as you put on yourself. Then, let your hand be the thermostat. Overheated babies tend to be more agitated too.