Sudden neonatal death causes. Causes of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), risk factors, prevention. Facts about sudden infant death

According to state statistics in the Russian Federation, 11 children out of every thousand born do not live to be one year old. Infant mortality in Moscow takes the lives of 70 to 90 infants every month.

These tragic statistics are based not only on various diseases and congenital anomalies. A significant number of infants, mostly under the age of seven months, die from sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). Scientists around the world are still unable to find the cause of their death.

Both premature and full-term babies are subject to sudden death. Suddenly, for no apparent reason, the child stops breathing - apnea. Most often this happens at night or in the early morning hours when the child is alone in his crib.

During fetal development, the child "breathes" through the mother's placenta (from the Latin placenta - "children's place"). Having been born, he does not even suspect the dangers that may lie in wait for him in a cozy crib: suffocation due to food, foreign objects entering the trachea, interruptions in breathing due to instability of the nervous and respiratory functions.

The function of breathing is vital. We rarely think that we need to take a breath, which again provides oxygen to all our organs. And only when we find ourselves in a situation where our breath is held on purpose, for example, when diving, we feel the value of another breath of air.

Infants are prone to irregular breathing. Even in very healthy children, short pauses in breathing are observed, but their duration should not be more than 12-15 seconds. Frequent breath holdings (apnea) lead to oxygen starvation of the brain, which can subsequently affect the mental.

The situation can be aggravated by the weakness of the baby due to prematurity, problems with digestion of food, especially when reducing the child, and also significantly increasing the risk of respiratory arrest.

One of the most modern methods of preventing the tragedy of infant respiratory arrest is the continuous monitoring of children from 0 to 1 years of age with a baby respiratory monitor that will instantly give an alarm in case of a child's respiratory arrest.

Sudden cessation of breathing and heartbeat in infants must be prevented in time. It should be remembered that most often children die from SIDS at night and in the morning, at the age of 2 to 6 months. SIDS is more common in boys than girls. Scientists have noticed that children are susceptible to SIDS in the cold season (autumn and winter) when there is an increase in colds and reduced immunity.

Children at risk include:

• born through caesarean section;
• born weighing less than 2 kg;
• those who are artificially fed;
• whose sisters and brothers died from SIDS.

What should you do if your child is not breathing?

Check the breathing rate by approaching the child's mouth and nose, trying to catch the movement of the chest.

In the absence of breathing, stir up, wake up the baby, gently massage the hands, heels, rub the earlobes. In the vast majority of cases, this will be enough to restore breathing.

If breathing does not appear, then make sure that there are no foreign objects in the trachea by opening the mouth and slightly tilting the child's head back.

Immediately call an ambulance, before the arrival of which, help the baby by performing artificial respiration, and in the absence of a pulse on the manual artery, carefully begin to massage the chest. It is very important to learn these techniques in preparation for childbirth - it can save your baby's life.

All these measures can help only if they are provided in a timely manner. The most important thing is to notice the impending danger in time and to stop the development of apnea by active actions. Therefore, the most effective means of combating sudden infant death syndrome is the constant monitoring of the child's breathing, which allows you to immediately receive alarming information about the baby's problems.

Such home monitoring can be done with a respiratory monitor. This method will allow parents to easily determine the respiratory rate at any time, which is one of the most important indicators of the state and well-being of the child, and provide timely assistance to the child, as well as enable moms and dads to get better sleep and give more strength to raising the baby.

Silenkova Tatyana Andreevna
Doctor-consultant LLC "Babylife"

Tatiana Silenkova

Comment on the article "Sudden Infant Death Syndrome"

My husband bought a breathing monitor for me, after I went to the bed every 5 minutes (and I did it because I read about SIDS from the Internet - I didn’t know better), I’ll say from experience that this is not a bad thing. You can sleep peacefully. Only I didn’t have a breathing monitor that is placed under the child’s mattress, but one that is attached to the child’s clothes (because my little one sometimes slept with us, which is also considered dangerous).

21.04.2009 21:35:21, Svetis

02/19/2009 21:38:10, Yulia NNov

Total 49 messages .

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Sudden Infant Death Syndrome is a diagnosis that is made when an almost healthy child under the age of 1 year dies in a dream for no apparent reason. Death occurs due to respiratory arrest. Doctors still cannot establish the exact cause of this phenomenon, although active research on this problem has been conducted since the 1950s.

There are many theories of sudden infant death syndrome, risk factors have been established, and prevention has been developed. The mortality rate among children has fallen significantly due to this phenomenon. Despite many successes in studying this problem, medicine has not yet been able to establish the main cause of sudden infant death syndrome and eliminate it completely. The mystery of this phenomenon has given rise to many myths and increased parental fears.

What is Sudden Infant Death Syndrome?

Sudden Infant Death Syndrome is often referred to as "death in the cradle" because the child dies in his sleep in his bed. Death always comes unexpectedly, without any previous signs. An autopsy and examination are not able to answer why a healthy child without any developmental defects falls asleep and never wakes up again.

Serious research on this problem began in 1950. After 9 years, the term "sudden infant death syndrome" was first introduced. Several important discoveries have been made that could explain individual deaths, but the underlying cause of SIDS has not yet been identified.

SIDS is not always the cause of a child's death. Unfortunately, babies often die from internal and external causes. These can include developmental anomalies, tumors, infections, and abuse. The cause is quite easily established by studying the medical history or at the autopsy. And only in the event that not a single study could give a clear answer about the cause that provoked infant death, they make a diagnosis of "sudden infant death syndrome." Thus, we can say that this is a diagnosis of exclusion.

Causes of sudden death syndrome in children

Children are most at risk of sudden death aged 4 to 6 months. By 9 months, the risk is significantly reduced, and at the age of 1 year it is already practically reduced to 0. Researchers were able to establish the exact age when the risk of SIDS is highest, but it was not possible to establish the exact cause. Several main hypotheses have been identified that attempt to explain the cause of sudden infant death:

Factors that increase the likelihood of developing sudden infant death syndrome

Since 1989, much more attention has been paid to the study of SIDS than before. Despite some success, it has not been possible to establish the exact cause of this phenomenon. However, scientists were lucky identify several factors, which significantly increase the likelihood of sudden death syndrome:

Can sudden death syndrome be prevented?

It is impossible to completely exclude the possibility of developing sudden infant death syndrome. Luckily, this is a fairly rare occurrence., which affects only 0.2% of children. In most cases, even children lying on a soft feather bed on their stomach will instantly wake up and change their position, with insufficient oxygen supply. And only in rare cases, with a combination of factors such as age, genetics and adverse external conditions, sudden death syndrome can develop in children.

Although it is impossible to completely eliminate the possibility of a child dying from SIDS, parents can significantly reduce the risk of developing it. Prevention must be taken care of not only after birth, but throughout the entire period of pregnancy. It has been proven that women who irregularly attended antenatal clinics and did not follow all the doctor's recommendations significantly reduced their child's chances for a healthy and long life.

Sleep as prevention

Since sudden infant death syndrome develops in babies during sleep, parents should make every effort to secure baby's bed. First of all, you need to make sure that the air temperature in the room is constant and does not exceed 22 degrees. It will also be useful to purchase a humidifier.

When choosing a crib for a child, it is necessary to give preference to a firmer mattress, since one of the causes of SIDS is too soft a featherbed.

The pillow must be discarded. Instead of a blanket, it is better to use a special heat-resistant bag. Lay the baby to sleep only on the back, and after he learns to roll over on his own, you can lay it on its side.

Some pediatricians categorically do not recommend co-sleeping of parents and child. It is believed that this is one of the causes of sudden death syndrome. This is true only if the mother is completely exhausted and so tired that in a dream she can accidentally crush the child and not feel it. Also, co-sleeping should not be practiced if the parents have consumed alcohol, drugs or smoke in bed.

In all other cases, co-sleeping is desirable and even beneficial for the baby. During the 9 months of pregnancy, the mother's heartbeat calmed the baby in the womb. After birth, during co-sleeping, his sensitive organism again tunes in to the rhythm of the mother's heart and breathing. This is an excellent prevention of SIDS. In addition, the mother sleeps so sensitively that if the baby stops breathing, she will wake up and help him.

In the event that parents prefer separate sleep with the child, the baby's crib must be moved as close as possible to the parent. You need to lay the crumbs at the very bottom of the crib so that the legs rest against the side. This will not allow the baby to slide down and cover himself with a blanket, which can provoke suffocation.

Before you put the baby to sleep, you need to let him burp, holding it upright for several minutes. Especially attentive parents need to be if the child goes to bed after a strong tantrum or in an unfamiliar place.

What else can help reduce the risk of sudden infant death syndrome

Parental love and care is not a panacea for SIDS, however, it helps to reduce the likelihood of developing the syndrome. It has been proven that in families where the child was not desired or is raised by a single mother, SIDS is the main cause of death for babies under the age of 1 year.

Loving parents who want to eliminate all possible risk factors as much as possible should adhere to the following guidelines:

Modern gadgets for parents to help

At the moment, there are many devices that monitor the child's breathing and heartbeat. There are both simple models and multifunctional ones on the market. The most common monitors can beep if the child's breathing rhythm goes astray. You can also find devices that will track the baby's heart rate, blood oxygen levels and send data to the parents' phone or computer.

Of course, such gadgets cannot completely exclude the possibility of developing sudden death in infants. But they can warn parents about the danger. This will allow you to call an ambulance in time and save the baby's life. The use of such sensors is especially important for premature babies.

In addition to these modern devices, you can use the well-known pacifier. It has been proven that the risk of developing sudden infant death syndrome is reduced if the baby sucks on a pacifier during sleep, since additional air enters through its circle.

How to help a child if he stops breathing

In cases where parents immediately noticed a child's respiratory arrest, almost always they managed to save the baby. First of all, it is necessary to discard panic and pull yourself together, since the life of their crumbs will depend on the confident and correct actions of adults. The child must be picked up and with a sharp movement, hold the edge of the palm or fingers along the spine. After that, it is necessary to rub the baby's feet, palms and earlobes; loosen it up a bit.

Usually, these actions are quite enough for the child to resume breathing. If these steps do not help, you need to call an ambulance. All the time, before the arrival of doctors, the child needs to do a heart massage and artificial respiration. Massage the heart with great care, as it is very easy to break children's ribs.

Possible precursors of sudden infant death syndrome

It is impossible to predict the development of sudden death syndrome and this phenomenon has no clear causes. Still, there are some moments, which can become dangerous harbingers of the possible development of this syndrome. Parents should pay special attention to them and especially carefully monitor the child.

What can be hidden behind SIDS

Sometimes child abuse or accidental killing trying to pass it off as sudden death syndrome. If serious fractures and injuries are easily detected by doctors immediately, then intentional strangulation is not so easy to determine. If a second child dies in a family due to SIDS, this should raise serious thoughts about possible abuse. In the case of the death of 3 children, doctors rarely doubt that the cause was abuse.

Shaken baby syndrome is also being passed off as SIDS. In the event that the child cries and cannot be calmed for a long time, some parents begin to shake the baby violently. A fragile neck and a sufficiently large head of a baby, as a result of shaking, provoke damage to the vessels of the brain, which can lead to coma or death.

There is a certain risk of dying from a disease such as sudden death syndrome. Instant death helps to avoid only which will be discussed in this article. It happens like this: if a child has difficulty breathing during sleep, there is a risk of blockage of the airways, which leads to tragic consequences. Doctors have not yet been able to detect a tendency to this anomaly in any way. Even an autopsy does not give doctors a hint of the cause of the disease. The study of the disease began in 1950, and it was only in 1969 that the term "sudden death syndrome" appeared, and the appropriate diagnosis was made for the first time.

Since this phenomenon occurs only in infants, the disease later changed its name to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. According to statistics in Russia, 0.43% of 1000 newborns die from it. After the organization of a fund dealing with this problem, the mortality rate decreased by 74%, but it was not possible to completely solve the problem.

Sudden death syndrome can occur for the following reasons.

1. Sleeping on the baby's stomach is the most common cause of death. Because of this, pediatricians have changed the recommendation that the baby should sleep in this position. All experts now recommend laying the child on the back. As a result, the mortality rate has decreased by three times.
2. Your child is wrapped up too warmly during sleep. You should not do this in any case, pediatricians recommend a night bag for optimal thermal insulation for your baby's sleep.
3. If your child sleeps on a bed that is too soft. Doctors do not recommend laying the baby on the couch or too soft bed. For unknown reasons, sudden death syndrome may also occur in this case.
4. If one of the children in the family has already experienced critical situations, such as cardiac arrest, or this also increases the likelihood of SIDS in other babies.
5. If the mother of the child was already ill with serious illnesses before the birth.
6. If the mother has an interval between pregnancies of less than 1 year. If a woman had miscarriages before giving birth, this can also contribute to SIDS.
7. Smoking and drinking alcohol by the mother of the child, as well as the use of light and hard drugs.
8. Difficult childbirth, after which the chance that SIDS will occur increases by 7 times.
9. If the birth is too long, this increases the chance by 2 times.
10. If the mother of the child had a lot of stress before the birth, the child also experiences stress. In such situations, the likelihood of death greatly increases.
11. If the mother did not carry the child.
12. The complete absence of breastfeeding and, in connection with this, the child.
13. Boys are more at risk than girls; according to statistics, they are the ones who die in 61% of cases.
14. Children who die of sudden death are 2 to 4 months old.
15. In case you sleep in different rooms.

Ways to avoid SIDS logically follow from the prerequisites for the disease described above. Here is a detailed list to help you keep your child safe.

1. You should put your baby to sleep on his back, never on his stomach.
2. The surface on which your baby will sleep should be hard.
3. Put your child to sleep in a special sleeping bag, which will be at the optimum temperature. You can not wrap the baby too tightly.
4. You need to sleep with the child in the same room, let him lie in the crib next to you.
5. Never smoke near a child.
6. Be sure to breastfeed your baby

By following these recommendations, you can protect your child from this terrible diagnosis. In no case should you be afraid, it is better to be attentive and careful parents and worry about your beloved children in moderation. Only in this case, you can protect your family from trouble and grief.

Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) is a medical diagnosis of a healthy child who has died for no apparent reason. This is an inexplicable tragic case that does not have unambiguous scientific confirmation. According to statistics, today, 0.2% of infants are subject to uncaused death.

The reasons

If the doctor could not determine why the child died, he is diagnosed with Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. The reasons why children die are still unknown.

One version of SIDS is considered to be a defect in the centers of respiration and awakening. Such infants cannot adequately respond to non-standard situations. If oxygen supply is cut off during sleep, the baby may not wake up from anxiety and SIDS will occur.

As the child grows older, the risk of sudden death tends to zero. The highest frequency of SIDS cases is observed among children of the second - fourth month of life.

Preschoolers no longer have the concept of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. Most often, after nine months there is no reason to fear for the condition of the child.

Possible causes of SIDS are:

1. Prolongation of the QT interval on the ECG. This indicator reflects the time from the moment of contraction of the ventricles of the heart to their complete relaxation. Normally, this indicator is 0.43-0.45 ms. Increasing this value may result in ventricular arrhythmias resulting in neonatal death;
2. Apnea. The brain temporarily stops stimulating the respiratory muscles. An adult can control this condition, hold the air up to 2-3 minutes. For infants, failure to take in oxygen within 30 seconds will result in death. The intervals between breaths are lengthened mainly in premature babies;
3. serotonin receptors. At autopsy after SIDS, an insufficient number of these cells was found in the medulla oblongata. A deficiency of nerve endings that respond to serotonin disrupts the cohesive work of the respiratory and cardiovascular centers. There is a theory that this is what causes SIDS;
4. Errors in thermoregulatory function. The air temperature in the room where the child is located should be in the range of 18-20 ° C. When overheated, immature cells of the medulla oblongata may refuse to perform their functions. Even a short-term cardiac arrest or cessation of breathing will cause the sudden death of an infant;
5. Infection. The immune system protects the child not only from the negative effects of bacteria and viruses, but also takes part in the work of the heart and lungs. Weakening of the body in utero or during the neonatal period can cause SIDS;
6. genetic predisposition. If the family has already encountered cases of sudden cardiac arrest or SIDS, then the risk of death of the baby is about 90%. The birth of a healthy child with strong immunity is not a guarantee of his viability.

Predisposing factors

• cold season;
• second month of life;
• mother of a child under 20;
• smoking during pregnancy;
• premature baby;
• low birth weight;
• intrauterine fetal hypoxia;
• resuscitation to the child during delivery.

You can reduce the risk of death by observing the following conditions to preserve the health of the child:

1. Do not put the baby to sleep on the stomach.

Until the baby learns to roll over on his own, sleep should occur while lying on his side. If the child is laid on the stomach, the risk of asphyxia or suffocation increases, as a result - death.

When oxygen is cut off, the baby will be inactive - suffocation will cause sudden infant death syndrome. The age of a child who rolls over from his stomach to his back on his own is more than six months;

1. Maintain optimum temperature.

Overheating, as well as excessive cooling of the child's body, adversely affects the functioning of the body, leading to the death of the baby. To prevent SIDS, the temperature is adjusted using air conditioners and heaters;

1. Eliminate smoking.

Nicotine, both during pregnancy and after the birth of a child, is very harmful. The task of a parent is to protect their baby from SIDS, so it is worth limiting not only the active exposure to tobacco smoke, but also the passive one.

The apartment where the child is located should not smell of cigarettes. If one of your relatives has such an addiction, ask them to go outside and keep them away from the baby until all the smell has completely disappeared;

1. The sleeping surface should be of medium hardness.

Choose mattresses specially adapted for newborns. Do not put a pillow under the child's head (the exception is orthopedic rollers recommended by a pediatrician or orthopedist).

With a disproportionate load on the musculoskeletal system of the infant, deformation of the ribs and spine occurs. Compression of the chest negatively affects respiratory and cardiac activity, death will occur if the work of vital organs stops;

1. Baby blankets. To minimize the risk of SIDS during sleep, do not cover the child with voluminous and heavy capes;

Note! In the cold season, it is better to dress the child warmer rather than using a blanket. The baby can move it to his face with his hands and cut off access to oxygen.

1. Leg support. The child is placed mainly in the bottom of the bed. If the legs rest against the side, this will reduce the likelihood of slipping down and covering the head with a blanket, and will prevent death from suffocation.

Features of the child's behavior

SIDS is neither predictable nor preventable. All that parents can do is to show a little more control over the health and behavior of the baby. Give your child more attention if you notice the following:

• increased body temperature;
• loss of appetite;
• motor passivity;
• the presence of respiratory diseases (read how to protect a child from a cold?>>>);
• long laying the child to sleep;
• frequent crying;
• sleep in unusual conditions for the child.

Sleep with parents

If you feel more comfortable sleeping with your baby, good luck. You don't have to get out of bed to breastfeed your baby.

Feeling the native smell, the baby sleeps more soundly and calmly, he wakes up less often. Mom will immediately calm down if the little one starts to act up. Waking up will be more awake for parents who didn't run half the night to the crib.

Constant contact strengthens the emotional connection. A mother's dream is very sensitive. Even in sleep, you control every movement of your baby and can eliminate the occurrence of SIDS.

Important! When sleeping together, mother and baby should not hide in the same blanket.

The choice is yours. Sleep the way you feel most comfortable. You don't have to change your routine on purpose. Co-sleeping is the best solution for a mother with a baby, and it does not increase the risk of SIDS.

Parents should not sleep in the same bed as their child if:

• very tired;
• drank alcohol;
• are taking sedatives.

Should I give my baby a pacifier?

How does a pacifier affect the occurrence of SIDS? Sucking during sleep actually reduces the risk of infant death. One explanation is that air is constantly drawn in through the pacifier circle, even if the baby is covered up. But don't force it into your child's mouth.

Note! If the child is used to sleeping with a pacifier, then it is worth weaning him gradually. Abruptly stopping the use of a pacifier, on the contrary, can increase the risk of death.

Breath monitor

Continuous monitoring of the newborn's breathing can be ensured by using an electronic device. The sensor is attached to the child's body, and the ultrasonic sensor is attached to the child's bed. In case of interruptions in breathing, the device will signal a rhythm failure.

Does everyone need to use it? Such a device will help prevent SIDS. But it is used if the child has breathing problems or is at increased risk of infant death. No one forbids purchasing a monitor for parental peace of mind.

First aid for respiratory arrest

You notice that the child has stopped breathing. Do not panic, get together, it depends on the accuracy of your actions whether SIDS will come or not. Sharp movements are made with the fingers along the spinal column from the bottom up. The baby is taken in your arms: start to shake him up, massage the arms, legs and earlobes.

These actions are enough to normalize breathing and prevent SIDS. If the condition does not improve, call an ambulance. Start doing chest massage and artificial respiration. The onset of death can only be ascertained by a doctor, until his arrival, continue resuscitation.

Important! The chest of a child is very fragile. The heart area is massaged with the index and middle fingers on the lower third of the sternum.

Predisposition to death in infancy is laid in utero. Bad habits of both parents can seriously affect the health of the baby and provoke SIDS. During pregnancy, you should completely avoid the use of alcohol, drugs and cigarettes. Do not neglect the advice of doctors.

Lack of proper control over the child, lack of attention to him from the parents can lead to death in the cradle. More than half of SIDS cases occur on weekends and holidays, according to a study by British pediatricians.

Scientists have confirmed the fact that preventive vaccinations, air travel or the type of mattress in a baby's crib are not the causes of sudden infant death syndrome.

Roshchina Alena Alexandrovna, pediatrician. Especially for the site Lessons for moms.

Infants, whose age varies from 2 to 4 months, are most susceptible to sudden death syndrome. By six months, this phenomenon is extremely rarely recorded, and among 9-month-old infants and older children, only isolated cases of SIDS have been noted.

The conducted studies helped scientists to find out the most dangerous period of infant mortality, but so far the exact cause of the sudden death of infants has not been found out. There are several major predisposing factors for SIDS. Pathological anatomical studies have proven some connection between the underdevelopment of certain parts of the brain and the frequency of infant mortality.

Understanding Sudden Infant Death Syndrome

It was not until the late 1960s that the medical community faced the acute question of mortality in infancy. It was during this period that the term SIDS was introduced. Of course, children have died before, but only at the end of the last century, pediatricians around the world began to "sound the alarm", holding all sorts of campaigns to try to prevent the development of this syndrome.

Although infants are able to quickly adapt to new conditions, their mortality due to external or internal causes is still high. Usually, apparently healthy children die due to various developmental pathologies, due to infections, and often as a result of previous injuries. Unsuspecting parents put their baby to bed and then find him dead there.

A sleeping baby may experience respiratory problems. As a rule, its short-term delay for children is considered the norm. As soon as the level of oxygen in the blood drops, signals from the brain cause the child to wake up and restore breathing.

Only in rare cases, sleep apnea is fatal. If parents began to notice that their baby holds its breath for 10-15 seconds in a dream, and several stops occur within an hour, then this is a serious reason to show the child to the doctor.

As a rule, the cause of death is determined at autopsy by the pathologist, and only when this fails, the diagnosis of SIDS is made. According to statistics:

• African American children are much less likely to die from SIDS;
• about three children out of a thousand who died at the autopsy fail to identify the cause of death;
• more than half of the dead are boys;
• in 90% of cases, 2-4-month-old children die;
• SIDS risks are highest when a child reaches 13 weeks of age;
• the death of a child in more than half of the cases is associated with the wrong behavior of the parents;
• 40% of infants on the eve of death had symptoms of a cold;
• most often, the development of the syndrome of sudden death of a child contributes to the period of cold weather.

Parents whose children are at risk need to make every effort to create the most favorable living conditions for their child. They need to be more attentive to the whims of the baby and devote most of their free time to him.

Factors that can provoke this phenomenon

So far, such a phenomenon as SIDS has not been studied in full. Medical workers remain at a loss when a healthy child suddenly dies of caring parents. No one can answer with 100% certainty what caused Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. The most likely provoking factors are:

• stop breathing during sleep;
• disturbed heart rate;
• pathology of the coronary vessels supplying oxygen to the brain;
• deterioration in the general state of health of the child against the background of psycho-emotional stress;
• infection;
• compression of the vertebral arteries.

It is also worth highlighting some factors that can adversely affect the health of the child and lead to sudden sudden death at night:

• nicotine and drug addiction of the mother during the period of gestation;
• delayed intrauterine development of the baby;
• the birth of a child prematurely;
• incorrect position of the baby in the crib during sleep (on the stomach);
• improperly selected bedding (large pillow, soft blanket, etc.);
• foreign objects in the crib (bottle, nipple, toys, etc.);
• excessive air temperature in the children's room;
• parents smoking.

Many dead babies could have been saved - most often children die due to the fault of their parents. If at the autopsy the doctor finds traces of violent death, then SIDS qualifies as murder. It is not uncommon for her own mother to cover the baby with a pillow so that she no longer hears his crying.

Sometimes parents can inadvertently harm their helpless child. Due to the fact that the neck muscles of the baby are weak, any careless movement or shaking of the baby leads to concussions or bruises of the brain (we recommend reading:).

Often the baby calms down after a shake, he can lose consciousness and fall into a coma. Very often, children die in their sleep when their own mother, under the influence of sleeping pills or alcohol, leans with her body on a nearby sleeping helpless baby.

How high is the risk of developing SIDS?

For newborns and infants up to 2 months, sudden death syndrome is not typical. The peak of deaths occurs at the age of 13 weeks. If the child has moved to the next age category, he is already more than 6 months old, in this case, the risks of SIDS are reduced to 10%.

One-year-old children die in their sleep extremely rarely, only isolated cases are recorded. Adolescents and adults who were completely healthy can also die suddenly with increased physical activity, and at rest.

SIDS most commonly occurs in children from birth to 1 year of age. As soon as the baby learns to roll over, sit down and stand up, then the risks of sudden death syndrome approach zero. From this moment on, the child can change the position of the body in a dream, taking the most comfortable position for himself.

Is the syndrome possible in an adult?

Unfortunately, sudden nocturnal death syndrome is also found among the adult population, so no one can say exactly until what age this phenomenon should be feared. Year by year, cases of death are recorded in the world when healthy people from 18 to 30 years old die for no clear reason.

Although many studies have brought scientists closer to unraveling the causes of SIDS, the phenomenon of sudden adult death requires serious study. The scientific community insists on the need to introduce a new term SIDS (Sudden Adult Death Syndrome). In young people, cardiac activity stops or breathing stops during sleep. At autopsy, there are no pathological changes that can cause death. On the contrary, in most cases the deceased was distinguished by good health.

Based on the available and very conflicting statistics, it can be assumed that on average 4 people die every week for no apparent reason in the world. More than 200 cases of SHS are recorded per year.

If you look at other data obtained by scientists in the UK, the mortality rate from SHS is simply amazing. In this country, 3,500 people die every year for no reason.

First aid for a child with sudden respiratory arrest

Health workers in the maternity hospital and local pediatricians should conduct conversations with newly-made parents so that they, in turn, can immediately provide emergency care to their child. Knowing the terrible symptoms of sudden infant death syndrome, you can avoid the tragedy.

After stopping breathing, the child can be saved if measures are taken in time. Symptoms of SIDS can last from 1 to 30 minutes. Usually in infants, breathing becomes weak. The child does not show activity, the skin turns blue, muscle tone decreases.

As soon as parents suspect that the baby's heart rhythm is disturbed or there are breathing problems, you should immediately call an ambulance team. You can not waste a minute, you need to try to restore cardiac and respiratory activity, without panicking and keeping your composure. To do this, do the following:

• with fingers several times intensively hold along the spine;
• shake the baby lightly, trying to wake him up;
• massage feet, hands and earlobes.

Thanks to such actions, the child can be brought to life. He wakes up, his breathing and heart rate is restored. However, if all the manipulations carried out did not give a positive result, you do not need to stop, you need to massage again and again until the ambulance arrives.

It is also necessary to give the baby a heart and chest massage. All actions must be performed with extreme caution, since the bones of the baby are still too fragile, you can injure him.

Is it possible to prevent the development of the syndrome?

Thanks to many years of research, doctors have been able to prove the effectiveness of preventive measures in the fight against SIDS. You can reduce your risk of sudden nocturnal infant death by:

• Stop smoking, as tobacco smoke is highly toxic. Its constant impact on the fragile body of the child is unacceptable.
• There should be no foreign objects in the crib. Children under 1 year old do not need a pillow, their mattress should be hard.
• You can not cover the baby with a warm blanket during sleep. The baby is not able to control his movements, he can easily pull the blanket over himself, thereby limiting access to fresh air.
• Many experts are of the opinion that it is better for a child to sleep with his mother. So she can control the baby's sleep. It must be understood that the use of alcohol or sleeping pills in this case is unacceptable.
• When placing the baby in the crib for sleep, it is necessary to lay him on his back, and take his head to the side, or on the side, fixing the body on both sides with a positioner.

If during pregnancy a woman takes care of her health, regularly visits a antenatal clinic and follows the recommendations of doctors, then she has every chance to give birth and raise a healthy child. It has also been observed that breastfed babies have good health and better adapt to the environment than formula-fed babies.

Based on the foregoing, a simple conclusion can be drawn: parents need to lead a healthy lifestyle, pay more attention to their child and follow the basic rules of children's sleep hygiene.

If the baby is at risk for SIDS, parents should take care in advance to purchase equipment specially designed for such cases. So during the sleep of the child, you can track his heart rate, in case of violation of which the alarm will go off. A respiratory monitor is placed next to the crib, and electrodes are attached to the child's body.

SIDS statistics in Russia

Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) is not a disease. This is a diagnosis that is made only in cases where it is impossible to establish the true cause of death of an infant. At autopsy, there are no pathologies, no traces of violence, a lethal outcome is diagnosed as a result of SIDS.

Recently, statistics of sudden deaths among the child population have been kept in the Russian Federation. According to the statistics obtained, in Russia, the rate of sudden death per 1,000 children born is 0.43.

Educational activities of the Foundation for the Study of Infant Mortality began in 1991. Since then, the number of infant deaths in sleep has dropped significantly. Parents began to listen to the recommendations of specialists, tragic cases decreased by 75%, but SIDS continues to take the lives of babies.