From yesterday bumper pads...??? about SIDS scares me to death...want to know more thanks

I just saw some of yesterday's posts and the subject of bumper pads and SIDS...this prompted me to ask more....Iv'e been reluctant to ask about SIDS yet is has been not to far in the back of my mind as I'm sure it is in every mom with a newborn. I didn't know about the bumper pads...thanks for the warning I won't be using them this time around...what else should I be mindful of? This topic scares me to death...I don't like thinking about such a thing but want to do all I can do to prevent something so horrible....you worry about miscarriage, prematurity and then SIDS...it's never ending!!!!!!

[deanne11]

Hi - this is a horrible subject and I hate thinking about it.  I remember with my dd....I was scared to death of it....but I did use bumper pads.

In the bassinet and crib....I was more scared of her hitting her soft head...I know they can't move much but she sure did...always pushing her head into the bars.

Anyway - I can't remember where I saw this article but earlier this week or last week they found a genetic link to children who have been lost to SIDS.

Besides, the blanket, pillows, stuffed toys being not allowed in the crib, other things like smoking in the home...etc as well.

But this article was great and the specific link that it's a physical problem with most of the SIDS babies.

[AndiJ78]

It is never ending, that's for sure ; )

Some of the best advice that has come out in recent years includes:

Place baby on their back to sleep...every time.

Do not overdress baby

Crib bumpers are a no-no

Blankets, pillows, and stuffed animals are also no-nos

Do not keep the room too warm, overheating has been contributed to an increased risk. Good rule of thumb is the room should be comfortable, not hot.

Baby should sleep on a firm surface

While the risk of SIDS is highest during the first 6 months of life, the peak age is somewhere between 3-6 months and boys are more likely for some reason. Recent information has linked lower than normal seratonin levels and the rebreathing of CO2 exhaled as a possible cause of SIDS.

Since the inception of the back to sleep campaign, the SIDS related deaths in the US have dropped sharply. Every day more information comes out that sheds light on this baffling and devestating syndrome. There are several excellent resources on the Internet about SIDS and what you can do to help reduce your baby's risk. The American Academy of Pediatrics has a lot of information on their website and I believe www.healthykids, com does as well. You could pretty much just good "SIDS Risk Factors" and pull up a pretty informative list.

Don't let it consume you, otherwise you will be a wreck. But do put into practice the things you can do to help prevent it. The worry will never stop, once they pass the "danger zone" for SIDS, there is something else to fret about.

[anxiousmomtobe?]

With my dd, 16 years ago they insisted on belly for sleep and bumpers were a necessity.  With my ds 3.5 years ago it was back to sleep and no bumpers.  I did use the bumpers with him for a while, but he always managed to get them wrapped around his neck.....(at about 4 months)

So with this one, I am not even bothering to make a set.  Probably when my grandchildren are born the wisdom will have chaged again.

I have also heard that there is a genetic link, however the truth of the matter is that it is still a mystery.  

[AndiJ78]

I meant to type just "Google" SIDS Risk Factors

[momof11]

http://www.emedicinehealth.com/sudden_infant_death_syndrome_sids/page2_em.htm As I stated before we did use them with all 11 babies yes it takes just once, but we never had any problem, make sure they are tied secure and over dressing is a link also plus others, this link has good info on it, but the choice is yours, with all make choices for our children that we think are good for them some are good others are not so good, in the end its what you feel good about.

[AnnieBrooke]

Also, be alert to anywhere the child might sleep that has restricted movement of air, so he is not in a pocket that could trap the carbon dioxide that he exhales so he is re-breathing it.  I'm on the alert to this with pillows on my bed, if he is with me and not in his crib.

[kris123]

I'm not using any bumpers or blankets in crib - they say not to even have your baby in the bed with you at night - something I was guilty of when my daugher was an infant.  What are those blankets called that rap around them?  Those are the kind I am getting - I'm just not sure what they are called.  

[over40club]

Thanks so much I googled and found some more info. I didn't know about the bumpers so thanks all....I don't know why Iv'e worried about this so much...maybe it is because I'm having anxiety problems this postpartum anyway...I'm taking lexapro for that...still the SIDS stories Iv'e read are so so sad it breaks my heart into a million pieces and I just grieve for those poor parents....Let's all begin praying that God's protective hand to be on our little ones each night.

[AnnieBrooke]

For really young ones, they are swaddlers, and for slightly older babies they are sleepsacks.

[waiting4mybabyboy]

I am so sorry the question I posted scared you.. I was just wondering what was best since I heard both good and bad, but I am glad of all the feed back we have recieved it certainly helps :)

[over40club]

Glad you asked and I won't be using them this time....it is just a really scary topic but we have to be as educated as possible and do all we can...thanks again....

[waiting4mybabyboy]

No problem, glad I could help

[Tia Lucila]

According to Dr. Karp of UCLA swaddling the baby just right (not too tight and not too loose) can keep the baby happy and help prevent SIDS.  

[mom2rachie]

If done correctly some experts say that co-sleeping GREATLY reduces the risk of SIDS because the baby mimics the mother's breathng pattern and that is what they think SIDS is, apnea, where the baby has brief periods of halted breathing,
People have been doing it for centuries.  
You need to read up on the safety of it, i.e. blankets, rolling over (something a co-sleeping product could solve), soft mattresses etc., but it is considered to be a perfectly fine way of bonding.
I did it with my DD and I still do it and she is a happy and healthy 8 month old.