Sudden Infant Death Syndrome

by T. Berry Brazelton, M.D., author of Sleep: The Brazelton Way

Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) has long frightened parents of small infants. Also called "crib death," it can occur even in healthy-appearing infants. The peak of its occurrence is at 4 months, and by the second year it is considerably less likely. But every parent must be aware of it in infancy.

Studies of the babies who die unexpectedly have found no clear single cause. Premature infants, or infants born after very difficult deliveries, may be more likely to stop breathing suddenly. Sadly, some "sudden" infant deaths occur when babies are suffocated with a pillow by parents—sometimes desperate and overwhelmed by a child who won't stop crying, sometimes by their own struggles, such as postpartum depression, often by both. But many victims of SIDS are neither vulnerable nor abused babies.

Often it appears that a young SIDS victim may have slept in bedclothes that did not allow for easy oxygen exchange. If the mattress sags like a hammock, or if the coverings bunch up near the baby's face, he may rebreathe his own air and the level of carbon dioxide in his blood gradually rises. Above a certain level, this becomes a brain depressant. The baby becomes weak and doesn't fight to get air. He may then die from lack of oxygen to his otherwise normal brain. For this reason, an infant should sleep on a firm mattress, with no soft bedding that could move up around his face. A one-piece sleeper is preferable to blankets, and pillows do not belong in a crib. If your baby has a lovey (a beloved object), be sure it can't interfere with his breathing. If a blanket is necessary, it should be tucked tightly under the mattress and reach no further than the baby's chest.

If your baby is sleeping in your bed, the mattress should be firm, and bedclothes must be kept from entangling him. Parents need to be sure not to roll over on or too near the baby, so as not to interfere with his supply of fresh oxygen during the night. (Parents should not bring a baby into bed with them if they have taken medication, alcohol or drugs, which make them sleep more deeply.)

Since some studies have associated tobacco smoke with SIDS, babies should be kept in a smoke-free environment. Of course this is important in general for the baby's health.

Excerpted from:

Excerpted from Sleep: The Brazelton Way © 2003 by T. Berry Brazelton, M.D., and Joshua D. Sparrow, M.D. All rights reserved including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form. Used by arrangement with Perseus.

To order this book click here or call 1-800-253-6476.