SIDS

     I had my children over a period of 10 years, from 1998 to 2008.  During this time, SIDS was a huge focus.  The hospital that I gave birth in wouldn't even release the babies to go home until the parents had watched a video about SIDS and read some additional handouts on the risks of SIDS and how to reduce these risks.
     Later in life, I had a licensed daycare.  There was a huge emphasis on reducing SIDS during this phase of my life, also.  Many of the licensing rules were aimed at reducing the risks of SIDS, such as not having the cloth bumper pads around the rails of the cribs.  Many of my continuing education classes addressed SIDS, also.
     Years later, I am in a more formal daycare type setting.  I find that the thin plastic film from purchase has been left on crib mattresses that are being used by infants.  Workers are placing babies in the crib on top of boppy pillows.  Blankets are draped across the tops of cribs to block out light.  Babies are covered up with layers of big, thick blankets.  The women working in this room are mothers.  One even has a newborn.  When I address these issues they are just dumbfounded.  They had no idea that all of these things increased the chance of SIDS.  One of the workers didn't even know what is was.
     This recent experience has made SIDS a meaningful topic to me.  I assumed that everyone (especially those who have children or care for children) knew a lot about this topic and that everyone was very well informed about SIDS, the risk factors, and the things that needed to be done to reduce the risks.
     Learning that the awareness is not as widespread as I had assumed has really impacted my current and future work.  I now make sure that all staff are trained in topics regarding SIDS.  I make sure that parents in our center are aware of the risks of SIDS.  I am no longer assuming that everyone knows about SIDS and I am trying to make sure that every parent, future parent, and childcare worker that I come in contact with knows the risks associated with SIDS and what they can do to reduce these risks.

New Zealand has one of the highest rate of SID incidents world wide.  Their SIDS program is called SIDS and Kids and the website is http://www.sidsandkids.org.nz/.  It seems like their is much talk in New Zealand and other countries (including the U.S.) about SIDS maybe being caused by toxic chemicals, fungi, and other things that are coming from the matress.  There are sites that suggest buying plastic wraps for the matresses and there are many different companies that sell these plastic wraps to use on the baby matress.  I had never heard of such and this was a totally foreign concept to me.  However, I also read some sites that point out that babies die from SIDS in other places besides on their crib mattresses.

Sidsandkids            

 

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We deliver on our vision through world class research; evidence based education and bereavement support; and advocacy.

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