SIDS - How to avoid cot death

September 19, 2018

When we speak of cot death syndrome ( or Sids, sudden infant death syndrome) we are not referring to a precise pathology but to a set of factors - still not fully clarified by the international medical-scientific community - which determine the death of the newborn during sleep , excluding any other possible known cause, from malformations to malicious events. Although an exact reason capable of explaining SIDS has not yet been found, some possible risky behaviors and clinical reasons for its occurrence have however been identified. According to what was reported by the American CDC (Centers for disease control and prevention), there could be some anomalies upstream in the brain area that controls the rhythms of sleep and wakefulness - even in apparently healthy children - to which two other elements would be added: an abnormal functioning of the regulation system of cardiac, respiratory or general rhythms of the organism and some risk factors which would intervene to aggravate the situation, inducing SIDS and therefore the death of the child. According to this model, we can speak of Sids only if the three aspects are present together. RISK FACTORS The conditions and harmful behaviors that can affect the likelihood of SIDS:

■ make the newborn sleep in the prone position (on the stomach); ■ use soft and enveloping mattresses, pillows and duvets; ■ exposing the fetus and newborn to smoke : during pregnancy, smoking triples the risk of SIDS, doubles it in the first months of life; ■ absence of an adequate pre and post natal care pathway ; ■ premature birth or low birth weight; ■ presence of respiratory infections . PREVENTION Best practices to follow: ■ make the child sleep on his back, in a supine position ; ■ do not smoke during pregnancy and after birth; ■ take care that the blankets do not move during sleep and cover the newborn's face; ■ do not use soft pillows or mattresses , which can suffocate him; ■ avoid cuddly toys and toys in the cot and bed; ■ place the child with his feet in contact with the edge of the cot so that he does not slip under the covers; ■ breastfeed at least until the sixth month: correct immunization reduces the risk of SIDS; ■ adjust the temperature in the bedroom to 20°C , ensuring a good exchange of oxygen; ■ limit co-sleeping , both with mum and dad and with siblings, in order to avoid accidental suffocation.