Sudden+Infant+Death+Syndrome+(SIDS)

__Definition:__
A phenomenon in which an apparently healthy infant dies suddenly and unexpectedly.toc HGD Chapter 4 pp. 94-97

SIDS is the sudden and unexplained death of an infant under 1 year of age. SIDS is sometimes called crib death because the death occurs when a baby is sleeping in a crib. It is the major cause of death in babies from 1 month to 1 year of age, occurring most often between 2 and 3 months of age. The death is sudden and unpredictable; in most cases, the baby seems healthy. Death occurs quickly, usually during a sleep time.

__Examples:__
There are many examples of SIDS, but they are not necessarily called SIDS. Overheating, infection, or lack of oxygen are all examples that may be related to SIDS. = [|SIDS: A Personal Story]  =

The exact causes of SIDS are still unclear and research is ongoing. There are some factors which make babies more vulnerable to SIDS. Some risk factors are preventable, but others are not. Evidence has shown that some babies who die from SIDS have the following:

__ Brain abnormalities __. Some SIDS babies are born with brain abnormalities that make them vulnerable to sudden death during infancy. Studies of SIDS victims show that many SIDS babies have abnormalities in the "arcuate nucleus," a part of the brain that probably helps control breathing and waking during sleep. Babies born with defects in other portions of the brain or body may also be more prone to a sudden death. These abnormalities may result from exposure of the fetus to a toxic substance, or a decrease in oxygen. #|Cigarette __#|smoking__ __#|during pregnancy__, for example, can reduce the amount of oxygen the fetus receives.

__ Events after birth __. Events such as lack of oxygen, excessive carbon dioxide intake, overheating, or an infection may be related to SIDS. Examples of a lack of oxygen and excessive carbon dioxide levels may include the following:

__ Respiratory __ infections that cause breathing problems. Re-breathing exhaled air trapped in underlying bedding when babies sleep on their stomachs. Normally, babies sense when they do not get enough air and the brain triggers the babies to wake from sleep and cry. This changes their heartbeat or breathing #|patterns to make up for the lowered oxygen and excess carbon dioxide. A baby with a flawed arcuate nucleus, however, might lack this protective mechanism.

This may explain why babies who sleep on their stomachs are more susceptible to SIDS, and why a large number of SIDS babies have been reported to have respiratory infections prior to their deaths. This may also explain why more SIDS cases occur during the colder months of the year, when respiratory and intestinal infections are more common.

__ Immune system problems __. The numbers of cells and proteins made by the immune system of some SIDS babies have been reported to be higher than normal. Some of these proteins can interact with the brain to change heart rate and breathing during sleep, or can put the baby into a deep sleep. Such effects might be strong enough to cause the baby's death, particularly if the baby has an underlying brain defect.

__ Metabolic disorder __. Some babies who die suddenly may be born with a metabolic disorder. __#|One__ such disorder is medium chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase deficiency, which prevents the baby from properly processing #|fatty acids. A build up of these acid metabolites could eventually lead to a rapid and fatal interruption in breathing and heart functioning. If there is a #|family history of this disorder or childhood death of unknown cause, genetic screening of the parents by a blood __#|test__ can determine if they are carriers of this disorder. If one or both parents is found to be a carrier, the baby can be tested soon after birth.

__Analogies:__
(They say losing a child is like losing an arm. You know what it was like to have it. You get reminded every day you lost it,but you learn to live without it.)

__Mnemonics:__

 * S**udden
 * I**nfant
 * D**eath
 * S**yndrome

__In the News:__

 * [|SIDS article link]
 * [|American SIDS Institute]
 * [|Mayo Clinic-SIDS Prevention]
 * [|SIDS Statistics]
 * [|Kids Health-SIDS]

=[|SIDS Awareness] =

include component="comments" page="Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)" limit="10" Morgan lost her two month old son to SIDS, she went back to work right after the funeral. She try to continued living a normal life, Her co -workers did not know what to said to Morgan after what just happen to Her baby. but she did not wanted to hear anything about the lost of Her child. I understand Her feeling. In the "reflection" If I was Morgan's co-worker I would pick up her cue that she does not want to talk about and leave her along and wait until she is ready to talk about it. loosing a child is like your heart is been rip apart and it feels like you never get it back, we continued with our life but in reality for those with that experience is a pain that you leave with it for the rest of your life. HGD p95