SIDS

lellymine

It seems like there is so much conflicting information out there on this. It's like because they don't know what causes it they just throw everything at the wall and see what sticks. Sleeping positions, too soft or hard of bedding, bumpers and now co-sleeping. I thought the worry would be over after the delivery but now I'm worrying about making the wrong choice and keeping the baby alive. Do you think all the precautions they talk about are mostly hype? What precautions are you going to listen to/have listened to?

hjl050308

That scares the crap out of me so I follow the majority of the recommendations. For my two I have had them sleep on their backs, no bumpers, fan at night, no blankets (they wore the sleep blanket things), nothing in their crib, pacifiers, and nobody smelling like smoke around them.

rainbowdashh

Honestly, I think there's a list of preventative measures for SIDS because the cause is completely unknown and it scares people. So there are do's and dont's to somewhat ease people's minds.

Also I think SIDS gets mistaken with suffocation too often. They are not the same thing. As for me, I just try not to worry. Keyword being try. I feel extra paranoid with a newborn.

SarainColorado2013

I'll be following the CDC guidelines -- placing baby on their back to sleep, on a firm surface, no bumpers or soft bedding, etc.  https://www.cdc.gov/sids/Parents-Caregivers.htm

I'm going to get the Arm's Reach co-sleeper that goes next to the bed for easy nursing without bed-sharing. I know lots of folks who bed-share and I understand why they do it but I'm going to follow the recommendations to have baby in our room, nearby, but not in the bed.

tbmadeamistake

So, I have a headcase of a brother (whom I love dearly but need to buy him his tin foil hat), who posted an article about how Australia has solved SIDS and the US just won't tell us about it.  They seem to think it's about the mold that forms when a baby drools/spits up on it's mattress, and the gasses that get released.  Therefore, they sell these "special" covers that prevent this...basically a plastic mattress cover so the spitup/drool/whatever doesn't soak in.  Yeah, the whole article is an ad with links to the one site that sells the stupid things.  We bought a mattress that came with a plastic cover.

Basically, the research I did with C said that the following things are risk factors: bumpers in the crib, not sleeping on the back, second hand smoke, poor prenatal care, premature birth, and having too much stuff in the crib (blankets, stuffed animals, etc).  Given that we had zero of those risks, when C stopped sleeping well on her back, I flipped her over and lo and behold my 2 month old suddenly slept through the night.  It's likely I will start out with this baby on it's stomach. 

It's all about doing your research and seeing what you are comfortable with.  The co-sleeping issue is more about bedsharing improperly.  Co-sleeping is sharing a room.  If the kid is in it's own space, it's generally fine.  If you bring it into bed with you  and let it use a pillow/get covered in the blanket/roll over on it, you'll probably have a problem.  Personally, I think most of it is common sense and hype.  When my doctor asked about back sleeping at C's 3 month check up, I said I had done my research and she was a tummy sleeper.  She was fine with it.  I know some doctors who will get upset about it even if you've done your research. 

That might be too long, but that's my perspective.  HTH!

MississippiCatfish

I just read through the CDC guidelines posted and would say that I followed them with DS. However, there were a handful of nights (10 or less) in the beginning when it was 3am, I hadn't slept, and the only way I was going to was with baby on my chest. I'll do it again if I have to. I don't judge moms who co-sleep like I did (silently) before having a newborn.

flerlgirl

Yes, they do randomly throw things against the wall and see what sticks. But doing this has saved 2000 to 3000 babies every year since people started following more recent guidelines. It's definitely not all hype. I would listen to any advice given to you by your doctor regarding SIDS. 

k2k2tog

I try not to let the possibility of SIDS freak me out too much. The possibility is pretty slim, isn't it? If I think too hard about it, it freaks me out, so I'm going with all the guidelines that are out there for putting babies to sleep and assuming that all will be fine. What else can we do?

babygabe614

I'm totally clueless on all of this, so can someone tell me if there's a certain kind of sleep sack/outfit I'm supposed to use when they're a newborn? I guess it never crossed my mind that the baby wouldn't have any kind of sheets/blankets in the beginning (I mean, I knew this... but didn't really make the connection until now).

MississippiCatfish

CDK211 said:

ohyealovely said:

Honestly, I think there's a list of preventative measures for SIDS because the cause is completely unknown and it scares people. So there are do's and dont's to somewhat ease people's minds.

Also I think SIDS gets mistaken with suffocation too often. They are not the same thing. As for me, I just try not to worry. Keyword being try. I feel extra paranoid with a newborn.

This. SIDS is Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. Bumpers, blankets, and co-sleeping improperly can cause suffocation. SIDS scares the crap out of me. We put baby in a co-sleeper next to the bed in a sleep sack and nothing else on their bed. They sleep on a firm mattress with a tight fitted sheet. No pillows, no stuffed animals until they are older.



...................................

But don't they say that just having them in the crib disrupts airflow which can increase the chances of SIDS? Along the same lines of running a fan being good because of airflow? I could be definitely be wrong, I just thought that was a part of their thinking. For sure with bumpers.

rainbowdashh

flerlgirl said:

Yes, they do randomly throw things against the wall and see what sticks. But doing this has saved 2000 to 3000 babies every year since people started following more recent guidelines. It's definitely not all hype. I would listen to any advice given to you by your doctor regarding SIDS. 

I definitely agree. I didn't mean to make it sound like I don't follow the guidelines in my post. I followed the recommendations with my daughter and will with this baby also. I think my main issue is that some people use SIDS interchangeably with suffocation.

MrsP419

SIDS was always terrifying for me with my littles, as I know someone who lost a baby to SIDS about 10 years ago.  Some products that helped ease my mind:

-Arms Reach Co-sleeper so I could easily check on the baby and hear him/her next to me, but was not bedsharing.

-Woombie swaddlers - www.woombie.com  They are stretchy, breathable, and very difficult to get out of.  My kids loved them.

-Pacifiers (for more than just SIDS…sanity as well).

-a motion monitor.  We had an angel care one, but I think it has been recalled recently due to a cord issue.  I am sure there is another model out there that serves the same purpose.  It is a motion detector that goes under the mattress, and sounds an alarm if it does not detect movement or breathing for 15 seconds.  Sometimes you get a couple false alarms that scare the crap out of you (normally it is a matter of getting the settings right), but it is worth it for the peace of mind.

owlcup

babygabe614 said:

I'm totally clueless on all of this, so can someone tell me if there's a certain kind of sleep sack/outfit I'm supposed to use when they're a newborn? I guess it never crossed my mind that the baby wouldn't have any kind of sheets/blankets in the beginning (I mean, I knew this... but didn't really make the connection until now).

We usually just swaddled DS when he was really tiny while sleeping in the crib. Once he could break free we used sleep sacks which are basically pillow cases with arm holes, but ya know, safe to sleep in. We used the Halo sleep sacks.

lellymine

What about swaddling? I've read that some experts say no blankets and other say doing a tight swaddle with a blanket is best.

melaneejo

@ugabamafans
Halo sleep sacs are on zulilly. What sizes do you recommend for a FTM?

SecondTimeinMSU

I followed the guidelines from the CDC as well. Along with of course acting like a crazy person and randomly staring at the baby monitor a million times a night until DS twitched so I know he was ok, thankfully he was a super twitchy sleeper. Oh and a fare amount of creeping in there to make sure he was still ok. Heck he is 2 years old and I still ensure he is breathing properly before I go to bed every night. He rarely catches me but if he does I drop to the floor and commando crawl out. I promised myself I'd not be so freaked out this second time but we'll see.

chaysefaith

I was terrified of SIDS with both my girls and worry constantly. I was always putting my finger under their noses to make sure I could still feel them breathing.  

The other ladies have covered a lot of the precautions, just wanted to throw it out there that lately I've seen on pinterest a lot that you can buy this little sock/booty thing that just goes right on the baby's foot and monitors their breathing.  It will alert you if the baby stops.  I have no idea how accurate they are, but I think I will consider purchasing it to help calm my nerves.

ElTrain5

I'm following the recommendations to prevent suffocation.  Breathable bumper(I know they say nothing now, but I'm doing breathable, I think it's more than safe), nothing but a fitted sheet in the crib, sleep on the back until they can roll over by themselves. 

As for SIDS....nobody knows what causes it, therefore there's not anything we can do to prevent it.  I did read an article about mattress off gassing, so I'm getting an organic crib mattress just in case, but that's about it. 

JNerd

A woman from my first BMB lost her baby boy just before he turned 6months old. He was just a week older than my son. It hit really hard. This December marked the first anniversary of his death.

When he died, there was no explanation. He was in a safe environment, was put to sleep on his back with no blankets or toys. But he still died.

SIDS is not suffocation. You can do everything in your power to be safe and that is the best you can do.
Unfortunately SIDS still happens.

ElTrain5

Here's some very recent research on SIDS that point towards a brain stem anomaly...

https://www.wishtv.com/news/indiana/new-sids-study-gives-new-findings-that-could-help-prevent-the-condition

babygabe614

@ugabamafans@Narwhalicorns @mullenem Thanks so much for the recommendations! I had seen the regular sleep sacks before but not the swaddlers. Ugh, there is so much to learn being a FTM. I appreciate the help!

LegalLadyBug

DD slept without blankets in a swaddler and then a sleep sack with arms free when she was old enough to roll over as we didn't want her to get stuck on her tummy. No bumpers till age 1 and that was only because she was constantly getting legs stuck between the crib slats. We used a breathable bumper. We did put her in bed with us when we were too tired to stay awake and rock her etc.

elsa1688

lellymine said:

What about swaddling? I've read that some experts say no blankets and other say doing a tight swaddle with a blanket is best.

I think it means no loose blankets - swaddled blankets are ok.

joules235 said:

DD sleeps on a firm mattress in a sleep sack, swaddle sack when she was tiny. The only bedding is a fitted mattress sheet, no bumpers blankets toys etc. We don't let anybody smoke around her and smokers need new shirts before coming inside or holding the baby. I also don't use Vicks vapor rub or strong essential oils around small babies. I actually don't use Vicks at all.

I don't think its hype and I don't want to take any chances.

What is the problem with essential oils? FTM trying to educate myself

Read247

I agree 1000% with @ElTrain5 and @JNerd. SIDS is not suffocation. There is no known cause therefore there's nothing you can do to prevent it. I lost my brother to SIDS. It's scary and you feel helpless, so do whatever you think might set your mind at ease. 

crestedlady

MrsP419 said:

-a motion monitor.  We had an angel care one, but I think it has been recalled recently due to a cord issue.  I am sure there is another model out there that serves the same purpose.  It is a motion detector that goes under the mattress, and sounds an alarm if it does not detect movement or breathing for 15 seconds.  Sometimes you get a couple false alarms that scare the crap out of you (normally it is a matter of getting the settings right), but it is worth it for the peace of mind.

I echo this...I also got an AngelCare monitor, and it provided me with a great deal of peace of mind since I worried a lot about SIDS at first.  As part of the recall, AngelCare offered a cord cover (the cord was the issue behind the recall), which I went ahead and ordered.  We'll see how well it works, and if we are comfortable using it. 

Otherwise, I followed the standard precautions - back sleeping (until he could turn over by himself), firm mattress, no bumpers, no blankets, no toys, etc. in the crib.

flerlgirl

ohyealovely said:

Yes, they do randomly throw things against the wall and see what sticks. But doing this has saved 2000 to 3000 babies every year since people started following more recent guidelines. It's definitely not all hype. I would listen to any advice given to you by your doctor regarding SIDS. 

I definitely agree. I didn't mean to make it sound like I don't follow the guidelines in my post. I followed the recommendations with my daughter and will with this baby also. I think my main issue is that some people use SIDS interchangeably with suffocation.

@ohyeahlovely, I knew what you meant! 

annie132

https://news.byu.edu/archive12-nov-studentinnovator.aspx
I can't wait til this is available.

kittenslove

I am terrified so SIDS. My husbands cousins, who live in our building, loss their 16month baby girl this past April to SUDC (sudden unexplained death in childhood). The medical examiner said he would label it as SIDS, but she was older than the profile. There was no explanation, and it is the hardest thing anyone in this family has had to deal with because there is nothing to blame. They followed all recommendations, they did everything to keep their baby safe. Before trying, DH and I spoke about this a lot, because I'm terrified and it was his only hesitation (well, losing a child in general). We will follow all recommendations, and we are getting a movement monitor. This is really important to me, and we are planning to buy one ourselves because the one we want is pricey $300ish). There is really nothing you can do about this specifically, but all the guidelines are in place to prevent tragedy. PS-I really wanted the sock monitor, but the last I checked the developers we not taking any more sign ups due to waiting list and production issues. This was a jump start project, but I haven't checked since finding out I was pregnant in October. They were looking to team up with a bigger company to get on the market, but again, I haven't heard anything. Anyone with more info, please share!

kittenslove

Oh, I didn't see you link till after I posted. This is where it was looking before, they seem to be taking orders agin, but I want to do just a bit more research first. https://www.owletcare.com/mobile

anordstrWed114947

From what I was taught as a nurse in school was SIDS is not something that you can "stop". Prevention is key but its called Sudden for a reason. If its going to happen its going to happen. Suffocation is not the same.
Don't get me wrong I'm a nervous nelly and will be just as freaked out as the rest. But if your child as a "SIDS" event chances are you won't be able to "save" them. Even doing CPR ASAP does not work on true SIDS.
The alarms are often used for children with sleep apnea. Also not to be confused with SIDS.

Don't feel bad if u do not have the monitors or alarms. As mothers/nurses in even hospitals all we can do is prevent suffocation and aid in good habits. This is what they teach nurses at least.

tbmadeamistake

Babywear said:

So, I have a headcase of a brother (whom I love dearly but need to buy him his tin foil hat), who posted an article about how Australia has solved SIDS and the US just won't tell us about it.  They seem to think it's about the mold that forms when a baby drools/spits up on it's mattress, and the gasses that get released.  Therefore, they sell these "special" covers that prevent this...basically a plastic mattress cover so the spitup/drool/whatever doesn't soak in.  Yeah, the whole article is an ad with links to the one site that sells the stupid things.  We bought a mattress that came with a plastic cover.

@Lilygrace48 Good news, your brother isn't a head case, just gave you a bad link. The breakthrough in December was that it's from a brain stem abnormality. thhttps://au.lifestyle.yahoo.com/practical-parenting/baby/health/article/-/20145548/vital-breakthrough-in-the-fight-against-sids/ The reasrech is new and the tests are being developed now, so I'll be following the existing advice until it's updated.

That's really interesting, and exciting that they might soon be able to detect it early enough to make a difference!  My brother, sadly, is still a headcase .  There are other reasons that I won't go in to here.  Thanks for the link!