Ashleigh Jenks

Ms. Frailly
Hum 220-2W1
1 April 2014

Sudden Infant Death Syndrome

It is the middle of the night and a three-month-old infant starts crying in her
sleep. The mother wakes up and groggily grabs the infant and puts her in bed beside
her for the rest of the night. The next thing the mom is waking up beside her dead
child and does not understand how this could have happened. This is an act that
many parents do out of love that could potentially cause harm to their child.
Sometimes things that parents do out of affection for their children can be the most
harmful to their health. Sudden infant death syndrome, or SIDS, is the death of a
child less than a year old that occurs without warning. This happens around four
thousand times a year in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease
Control and Preventions SIUDs website (Sudden, 1). This is such a monumental
problem in the world today and the most devastating fact is that there are actions
that can be taken to save these infants lives. By staying updated on the most current
SIDS research, creating a safe sleeping environment, using pacifiers while infants
sleep parents and child care providers can drastically reduce the number of SIDS
related deaths in infants.
In Amlie DHalluins article, Formative Evaluation to Improve Prevention of
Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS): A prospective Study, she discusses how
improving the amount of research that is provided to parents could continue the decrease
in the amount of SIDS deaths a year. In her study she gave questionnaires to mothers that
had just given birth. The mothers were asked demographic questions and then questions
that would identify how well they knew how to prevent SIDS. After they took this survey
they were given current research that would educate them on the current ways to prevent
SIDS (DHalluin 147). This study showed that young mothers and mothers that were in a
low socioeconomic status knew less about sudden infant death syndrome than mature
mothers in a middle class or higher. Many of these parents had either never heard of
SIDS or had never had anyone give them information regarding the prevention of SIDS
(DHalluin 150-151). What this lack of knowledge shows is that many of SIDS deaths
were probably caused by a parent who just did not have the information they needed to
prevent their child from dying. DHaulluins solution to this problem was to give out
educational information to all mothers before they leave the hospital. This would allow
the parents to have the information necessary to prevent SIDS at their fingertips. The
greatest cause of SIDS is simply not knowing how to prevent it, with DHaullins solution
parents will not have an excuse to not know how to potentially save their childs life
(DHaulluin 151). It is very important to understand how the lack of knowledge on SIDS
could lead a parent to unknowingly do something that could lead to their childs death.
One example of a common thing parents do is smoke and then pick up their infant with
the smell of smoke still on them.
In the paper titled, Postnatal parental smoking: an important risk factor for
SIDS the authors discuss how there was traces of nicotine in forty-three percent of SIDS
cases in 2010 (Liebrechts-Akkerman et al. 1291). What this study demonstrates is that
there is an increased risk of a child dying from sudden infant death syndrome if they are
subjected to post-natal cigarette smoke. The Dutch Pediatrician foundation went through
one-hundred and forty two cases of sudden infant death syndrome. While reviewing these
cases they found many instances of nicotine traces on the infant at the time of death. This
could mean that the parent either smoked around the infant or had smoke lingering on
their clothing. This article also discusses how even the smell of smoke on the parents
clothing can slow a childs breathing and in some instances be the reason that the child
stops breathing altogether (Liebrechts-Akkerman et al. 1281). Many parents who smoke
do not smoke around their infants and so they do not realize how the debris left on their
clothing after they smoke can lead to complications with their children. This is a
monumental reason why providing parents with the tools they need is key to the
prevention of sudden infant death syndrome. In this same regard it is important to learn
what research has already done for the prevention of SIDS and what current research is
underway to continue the mission of eradicating it altogether.
Sudden Infant death syndrome is something that can be drastically reduced in the
United States and worldwide. SIDS is preventable, application of what we currently
know could eliminate SIDS. The Challenge is to find new ways to implement our
knowledge, is a quote that was in Edwin Mitchells article SIDS: Past, Present and
Future (1717). This quote exemplifies how important it is to continue to do research on
the prevention of SIDS so that lives can continue to be saved. His article talks about
many of the advancements of the research on SIDS and how much is still to be gained
from continuing to make strides to eradicate it. Mitchell talks about how the rate of SIDS
has dropped almost forty percent in the United States since the nineteen eighties
(Mitchell 1712). This is proof that becoming educated on this topic is the key to
preventing it from continuing to occur. In Tara Ramirezs 2013 article Sudden Infant
Death Syndrome: are we any closer to identifying which infants will be affected she
discusses how much SIDS has changed over the last forty-three years. At the beginning
of SIDS research many factors were taken into consideration including the socio-
economic class, the ethnic group and the age of the parents. These factors were all taken
into consideration to see if SIDS deaths were more common among certain groups of
people. Tara Ramirez article makes sure to show how it does not matter what age group,
ethnic group, or socio-economic group the parents belong to, SIDS can happen to anyone.
She brings into light how there is no exact science to telling which children will be
affected by SIDS (Ramirez 15). The current research states that the best way to avoid
SIDS is to control what can be controlled. In her study she also discusses how the most
important way to prevent SIDS are the back-to-sleep method, which falls under the safe
sleep environment (Ramirez 20).
A lot of parents have to meet the conflict of providing for their families while
trusting another person to help raise their children. An important job for the
teachers at the Childcare facilities is to educate parents on the prevention of SIDS.
Childcare facilities are at a higher demand and with that are their standards. Clark,
Alena and Auten discuss ways that childcare providers are equipped with the
knowledge to prevent SIDS in their article Assessing Child Care Providers SIDS
Practices and Website Education Material Use. Within this article it is discussed
how a major reason for the decrease in SIDS rates over the past few years is the
adoption of State laws that state that any child under the age of one should be
placed on their back to sleep (Clark, Alena and Auten 34). In Patricia Schnitzers
journal Sudden Unexpected Infant Deaths: Sleep Environemnt and Circumstances,
she states that only twenty five percent of SIDS deaths happened while a child was
lying on its back to sleep (Schnitzer 1210). Both of these articles talk about the need
there is for an infant to sleep on their back, something that parents need to be
taught. Clark, Alena and Auten explain how it should be the childcare providers
responsibility to educate the parents of these children on how to prevent SIDS since
they are the ones taking extensive training to prevent it (Clark, Alena and Auten 35).
A child being laid to bed on their back is only one of the many safe sleep measures
that need to be taken to prevent SIDS.
Other important safe sleep environmental conditions are discussed further in
Patricia Schnitzers journal article. In her article she also talks about how seventy
percent of SIDS deaths were caused when and infant was sleeping on a surface not
intending for an infant to sleep on such as, an adults bed, a boppy, swing or a couch
(Schnitzer 1211). Many parents see that their child is resting comfortably in their
swing or boppy and do not want to wake them by moving them which puts their
child at a higher risk of dying from SIDS. It is advised that a child always be moved
from where they are sleeping and placed in their crib on their back. As the CDC said
there is an estimated 4000 deaths that is attributed to SIDS a year this means that
2800 infants are dying because they are not sleeping in a crib on their back. Other
prevention methods that could be taken include, but are not limited to,
breastfeeding, temperature control, having tight sheets on the infants crib, not
having excess objects in the crib, pacifiers while sleeping, and not bed-sharing with
parents (Clark, Alena and Auten 33).
Bed-sharing is one of the most dangerous things that tends to happen very
often with infants. In Homer, Caroline, Armari and Fowlers article Bed-Sharing
With Infants in a Time of SIDS Awareness, these authors take the time to talk about
one of the most overlooked factors of SIDS. This factor is bed sharing with infants
and it is one of the leading causes of SIDS. As briefly discussed earlier body
temperature is an important measure when discussing the prevention of SIDS,
parents heat from their body could over heat the infant causing SIDS. Another risk
comes from how easy it becomes to suffocate an infant when they are sharing the
same space as two adults that are bigger than them. The last thing this article
discusses is how a parent may not be receiving the adequate amount of rest if their
child is sleeping in the same bed with them because they want to make sure that
they are not rolling on top of their child. The lack of sleep can cause them to make
mistakes while they are awake that could potentially harm their child (Homer,
Caroline, Amari and Fowler 3-7). One secret weapon that is often overlooked when
talking about SIDS prevention is the pacifier.
Rachel Moon et al. discusses what a pacifier can do to prevent SIDS in her
journal article Pacifier Use and SIDS: Evidence for a consistently reduced risk.
When an infant under the age of 12 months uses a pacifier while sleeping it can
reduce the occurrence of SIDS by as much as ninety percent (Moon 610)! The
sucking motion allows a child to develop muscles that can be used to turn their head
if they need to spit up while sleeping. This same sucking motion will also allow the
spit up to be swallowed instead of choked on while the infant is sleeping (Moon
611). In seventy five percent of SIDS deaths the infant was not used to consistently
having a pacifier while they were sleeping (Moon 611). A pacifier truly is a secret
weapon that parents should be informed about.
Many parents are apprehensive about providing their children with a
pacifier. They are worried that their child will develop attachment to the pacifier
and then they will have to later take it away from children. According to Edwin
Mitchells article, Should Pacifiers Be Recommended to Prevent Sudden Infant
Death Syndrome? should still offer their child a pacifier. If the parent breastfeeding
it is advised that they wait a month before giving the infant the pacifier so that the
child does not have any confusion. Mitchell lists the many benefits of providing an
infant with a pacifier such as reducing gastro esophageal reflux, which has been
seen in conjunction with SIDS deaths. The sucking motion helps the child swallow
the spit up that could lead to a sudden death scenario. The pacifier also helps
children learn how to wake up if there is something wrong rather than sleep
through it. The infant will wake up when the pacifier falls out of their mouth and this
reaction leads to the training of the infant to wake up in high risks situations
(Mitchell 1-2). A pacifier is a choice parents have if they want to do everything they
can to prevent sudden infant death syndrome from occurring.
Sudden infant death syndrome is a very serious problem around the world
and in our own back yard. Knowledge is power and through learning about SIDS and
the ways to prevent SIDS it is possible to eradicate it by taking the time to become
educated on the steps to prevent it. Through extensive research, providing a safe
sleeping environment and using a secret weapon also known as a pacifier parents
and childcare providers can save so many innocent lives.



















Works Cited

Clark, Alena, and Charlene Auten. "Assessing Child Care Providers' SIDS Practices And
Website Educational Material Use." Relational Child & Youth Care Practice 24.3
(2011): 33-39. Academic Search Complete. Web. 12 Feb. 2014.
D'Halluin, Amlie Ryckewaert, et al. "Formative Evaluation To Improve Prevention Of
Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS): A Prospective Study." Acta Paediatrica
100.10 (2011): e147-e151. Academic Search Complete. Web. 12 Feb. 2014.
Homer, Caroline, Elizabeth Armari, and Catherine Fowler. "Bed-Sharing With Infants In
A Time Of SIDS Awareness." Neonatal, Paediatric & Child Health Nursing 15.2
(2012): 3-7. CINAHL with Full Text. Web. 12 Feb. 2014.
Liebrechts-Akkerman, Germaine, et al. "Postnatal Parental Smoking: An Important Risk
Factor For SIDS." European Journal Of Pediatrics 170.10 (2011): 1281-1291.
Consumer Health Complete - EBSCOhost. Web. 12 Feb. 2014.
Mitchell, Edwin A. "SIDS: Past, Present And Future." Acta Paediatrica 98.11 (2009):
1712-1719. Academic Search Complete. Web. 12 Feb. 2014.
Mitchell, Edwin A. "Should Pacifiers Be Recommended to Prevent Sudden Infant Death
Syndrome?" Should Pacifiers Be Recommended to Prevent Sudden Infant Death
Syndrome? N.p., 1 May 2006. Web. 07 Apr. 2014.
Moon, Rachel, et al. "Pacifier Use And Sids: Evidence For A Consistently Reduced
Risk." Maternal & Child Health Journal 16.3 (2012): 609-614. CINAHL with
Full Text. Web. 12 Feb. 2014.
Ramirez, Tara L., and Michael H. Malloy. "Sudden Infant Death Syndrome: Are
We Any Closer To Identifying Which Infants Will Be Affected?." Pediatric
Health, Medicine & Therapeutics 4.(2013): 13-20. Academic Search
Complete. Web. 11 Mar. 2014.
Schnitzer, Patricia G., Theresa M. Covington, and Heather K. Dykstra. "Sudden
Unexpected Infant Deaths: Sleep Environment And Circumstances." American
Journal Of Public Health 102.6 (2012): 1204-1212. Consumer Health Complete -
EBSCOhost. Web. 12 Feb. 2014.
"Sudden Unexpected Infant Death." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 11 Feb. 2014. Web. 31 Mar.
2014.