Also called crib death, it occurs during sleep, within the first months of life of the baby. It may be associated with a certain abnormality in the kid's brain, most specifically a disfunction at the level of the part that is supposed to control breathing. The most exposed are usually kids with a low weight at birth or with respiratory infections. For the boys, the risk occurs when there is already a family history of SIDS, with second hand smoke and premature birth. If the mothers are over 20, smoke, take drugs and drink alcohol and with an indadequate prenatal care, the risks are higher.
One of the best prevention of SIDS is to be sure that the kid is sleeping during the night on the back and not on the stomach or on the side. The baby should also have the blanket around the body and far away from the face in order to leave him breath properly. We are using a nice sleeping bag that helps baby D. to control his moves.
It is also important to avoid bringing the kid in the same bed with the parents as they may obstruct his breath during the sleep. The crib of the baby should be bare, regardless how big is the temptation to gather his favourite friendly looking toys around. It is also said that brestfeeding for at least 6 months can reduce the risk of SIDS.
Another important preventive method is to maintain a room temperature between 18 and 20C, as overheating can create breath problems. The air should not be dry either and in order to keep the air fine, once in a while we brought a wet towel on the thermostat. It is a relatively primitive method but it works for now.
As for us, what we additionally did and do, is to check on him regularly. Even he looks fine and asleep, it is always good to keep an eye on him every hour and check if everything is fine.
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