Thousands of children in the US die in their sleep: new safety rules have been issued
'16.02.2018'
Source: Consumer Reports
According to a new study conducted by researchers from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the United States has the highest level of sudden infant death among all developed countries. And there is no improvement.
The dangerous tendency remains stable in part because unsafe practices (including putting a child to sleep on their stomachs, not on their backs) persist among their parents, writes Consumer Reports.
Approximately 3500 children in the US die in their sleep every year. Yes, this is a tiny percentage among the 4 millions of babies born every year, but this is a huge tragedy for thousands of families. Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SUID) remains the leading cause of death for children under one year of age. (SUID also includes the death of an infant without a known cause, and other sleep-related infant deaths, such as accidental asphyxiation).
In some states, this figure actually increased from the 1990 of the year. For example, in Alaska, Arkansas, Alabama, Kentucky, and Louisiana, the level of unforeseen infant mortality today is higher than in 1990.
Why progress is at a standstill
Unsafe sleep patterns are still common. These include: the presence of soft bed linen in the crib (for example, blankets), laying the child to sleep on the stomach and sleeping together with adults. For example, the percentage of joint sleep doubled between 1993 year (6,5%) and 2010 year (14%).
Smoking during pregnancy is becoming less common in the United States, but the five states in which newborns die most often also show a high percentage of mothers who smoke. Eliminating at least this factor would prevent a third of all deaths from the syndrome. Children whose mothers took opioids are also very at risk - their risk is 3-15 times higher than that of the rest.
What can parents do?
It is important to know and comply with the recommendations of the American Academy of Pediatrics to ensure safe sleep for babies:
- Put the baby to sleep on his back, on a firm mattress, where no one else sleeps. The risk of sudden infant death is 2-13 times higher if the child is sleeping on his stomach.
- Remove all soft and voluminous items from the child’s sleeping area, including blankets, pillows, crib bumpers and toys.
- Never leave babies to sleep on sofas, sofas, armchairs or similar furniture.
- Give babies a dummy during day and night sleep.
- Avoid smoking during and after pregnancy.
- Keep the baby in his room, but NOT in his bed until he is 6 months old.
- Breastfeeding for as long as possible during your baby's first year is a proven factor in halving the chance of sudden infant death.
- Vaccinate children according to recommended immunization plan.
