"When a child loses his parent, they are called an orphan. When a spouse loses her or his partner, they are called a widow or widower. When parents lose their child, there isn't a word to describe them."--- Ronald Regan
Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)
I find the topic of SIDS very interesting. This is a meaningful topic to me because I work with infants and their families. SIDS is the leading killer of children between one month and one year. There is always a chance that an infant could die from SIDS on my watch. My coworkers and I take preventive measures to do all we can to make sure that does not happen. We preform five minute bed checks, which means when I child is laid down for a nap we check on that child every five minutes until that child gets back up again. There is the Bare is Best movement going that says that there should only be a crib sheet on the mattress and nothing else inside the crib with the child.
According to SIDS and Kids Australia had 54 SIDS related deaths for every 1,000 births in 2013 (2015 Fast Facts). Compared to other counties, "IN 1990 the SIDS rate in Australia was 1.81 in 1000 live births, less than the highest SIDS rates in that year which were in Ireland, New Zealand, and Scotland (2.0 in 1000 live births)." Statistics from ten years ago state, "Australia's SIDS rat was 0.3 in 1000 when the highest SIDS rates (0.5 in 1000 live births) were in New Zealand and the United States. The lowest rates (02 in 1000) were in Japan and the Netherlands." (Hauck & Tanabe, 2005)
Doctors to this day still do not have a cause for SIDS. However, as they continue to research and we learn more about possible things that increase the risk for SIDS there will be more for me to look for as a child care provider. This will impact my future majorly when I become a mother myself. My future husband and I will have questions to think about and different things to consider to make sure we are doing the best we can for our child's safety.
References
2015 Fast Facts, pdf, http://www.sidsandkids.org/research/
Hauck, F., & Tabanbe, K. International comparison of SIDS rates. http://www.sidsandkids.org/research/
Hi Sara,
ReplyDeleteGreat topic! I can remember when my children were infants I always had a fear they were not breathing. I would constantly put my hand on their chests to make sure that they were. I was always very thankful that they were just sleeping peacefully. I am surprised to here the measures you and your coworkers take to insure the safety of the infants in your care. From a mother perspective I applaud you'll. I feel others should take heed to this measure, it they do not already do so. Thanks for sharing on this important topic.
Hello Sara,
ReplyDeleteNice Post! The quote you mentioned in the beginning of your post is heartbreaking. Surprisingly, SIDS is the leading cause of death among infants. Researchers have no definite answer about the cause, but most experts believe that if a premature baby is born, the risk of SIDS is higher. Babies with low birth weight, infant sleeping in soft bedding are some of the other reasons that cause SIDS and it is more common in lower socioeconomic groups. Thanks for sharing.
Purvi
Hi Sara,
ReplyDeleteWhat a great way to begin your blog post with a quote by Ronald Regan that goes nicely with your topic of SIDS. Thank you for sharing the facts about SIDS and the statistics from around the world. It is sad to know there are no known reasons as to why this happens, but it seems promising with the research going on that one day we may know or have a clue as to what can be done to prevent this. Thanks again!
E. Lambert
Sara,
ReplyDeleteSIDS is a topic that is so difficult to discuss. When I am taking care of an infant or an infant is under my watch the one thing that I do is check on their breathing frequently, especially while they are sleeping. Thank you for sharing the research and information that you found. There is no cure or actual reason for SIDS but with information we can take preventative measures to keep our infants safe.
Thank you all for the wonderful comments.
ReplyDeleteSara
Thank you all for the wonderful comments.
ReplyDeleteSara
Hello Sara! Very useful information! SIDS is a topic that can be difficult to discuss. I think it's a topic that is also at times can be confusing to understand. Being that you work very close with infants, it's great knowing that pay very close attention when it comes to watching infants. With the information given, we can learn ways of preventing SIDS. Thank you
ReplyDeleteHello Sara,
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading your post, I work with infants and I am very scared that SIDS might happen. We as educators have to make sure we watch them especially while they are sleeping, it is a very touchy subject. Thank you for sharing!!!