SIDS is a terrible thing that I hope nobody has to
experience. Evidence of SIDS can be
found in the Old Testament and the 18th and 19th century had just as much SIDS
death as seen today. SIDS is an
explained death commonly in infants between the ages of two weeks to one year
of age. “There is evidence to suggesting that many SIDS infants are born with
brain abnormalities that cause a vulnerability to SIDS. They are found in the ‘arcuate nuclei’ which
control the major bodily functions: i.e., heart rate, respiration, temperature
and the able to awaken. The US has the
highest rate of SIDS with nearly 2,500 babies die each year from SIDS: 0.7/1000
live births. This is one death every 3
hours. Japan has a rate of 0.3; 1000
live births, Hong Kong’s rate is 0.03: 1000 live births, and China has the
fewest SIDS cases. China follows safe
practices and infants are never alone.
SIDS rates are highest among American Indians, Alaskan natives, and
African Americans, and lowest among Asians, Pacific Islanders, and Hispanics. A 50%
decrease in SIDS deaths has been reported in the US since the 1994 and a 90%
decrease in England, 50% decrease in New Zealand, Netherlands and Australia
from 1981-1992 due to the Back to Sleep campaign (Porter,2006). The Back to Sleep campaign is where children
under the age of 1 years of age are placed on their backs to sleep.
Sudden infant death syndrome or SIDS as it is commonly
referred to is a public health concern in child development because when a
child dies from an explained death it is devastating. It is devastating not just to the child’s
parent and family but also to the early childcare professional, the other
families within the program as well as the program as a whole. While I have never had to personally
experience a SIDS death within any program that I worked or managed, while
working as a State Licensing Specialist there was a death in a home childcare
program that affected the office as a whole.
When working as a Licensing Specialist and a child is injured or dies in
a child care program it is investigated in order to ensure the early childcare
professional did everything they could to not only keep the child safe but to
ensure that protocol was followed and everything was done to save the child. When an investigation is conducted we meet
with the early childcare professional, conduct an inspection of the program,
child’s record, review police record, and child protective services records as
well. And finally the most dreaded thing
of the investigation anybody wants to do is to listen to the 911 recording and
what transpires during that call. It is
something that makes everyone cry and heart bleed for the child, family, and
childcare professional. By me not even
having had to handle or experience a SIDS death myself just the experience I
had while working is enough to not want to experience the lose.
Additional Informational Sources:
Back to Sleep” Campaign
Call 1-800-505-CRIB or visit www.nichd.nih.gov/sids for more
information on SIDS and sleep positions.
SIDS Alliance
SUDC Program
References
Hi Quandra, Your post was very informative. I too have had experience with SIDS as a child protective services investigator. Anyone has to feel deeply for the parents and well as the caretakers. I believe this empathy will make us better early childhood professionals.
ReplyDeleteSIDS is a horrible thing for a parent to have to deal with. My cousin's first child died from SIDS. He and his girlfriend were in there home and something woke him up in the middle of the night to go and see about his son. Once he got up to the crib to touch him he realized that he was not breathing. This was a very difficult time for him and he cried for hours and hours for his son. Thanks for sharing information on this subject.
ReplyDeleteSIDS is something that has always frightened me. It has to be devastating for the parents that have to cope with this. Your post was very informative. Thanks so much for sharing.
ReplyDeleteHi Quandra, thanks for the information on SIDS. I usually skip over this subject because of our families experience. My niece's baby died of SIDS. She was on a machine and then the doctors took her off because she was breathing on her own. A week later my niece found her dead in her crib. She had stopped breathing. The coroner said it was SIDS.
ReplyDeleteGreat Post! SIDS is very important and dangerous. Some people often forget about SIDS or don't take it serious at all.
ReplyDelete