$Unique_ID{PAR00159}
$Pretitle{}
$Title{Medical Advice:  Sudden Infant Death Syndrome}
$Subtitle{}
$Author{
Editors of Consumer Guide
Chasnoff, Ira J}
$Subject{Sudden Infant Death Syndrome SIDS stopped breathing stop breathe
revive reviving revival cardiopulmonary resuscitation CPR premature birth low
birth weight pregnancy medical care periodic breathing respiratory control
brain center ill illness smoke smokes smoking smoked drug abuse abused drugs
multiple births pneumography pneumogram pneumograms pale blue breath monitor
monitors theophylline}
$Log{}

Your Child:  A Medical Guide


Sudden Infant Death Syndrome


     Quick Reference

     SYMPTOMS
     - None

     HOME CARE
     - If an infant is considered to be in a high-risk category, the doctor
       will make recommendations for home care to guard against sudden infant
       death syndrome (SIDS).

     PRECAUTIONS
     - Every parent should know how to revive an infant who has stopped
       breathing.  The best way to learn the proper technique is to take one
       of the courses in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) that are offered
       by local hospitals and community organizations.  If, for some reason,
       taking such a course is not possible, ask your doctor to demonstrate
       the technique.
     - Certain factors, including premature birth, low birth weight, and lack
       of medical care during pregnancy, make some babies more at risk than
       others.
     - SIDS is more common in families in which it has occurred before.
     - Whether the baby is breast-fed or bottle-fed has no relation to the
       occurrence of SIDS; neither does the position in which the child
       sleeps.


     All babies sometimes have periods when they stop breathing for a second
or two.  Occasionally, the nonbreathing periods will last for a longer time;
this is called "periodic breathing."  But if the infant's automatic breathing
mechanism does not start again, and if no one is there to revive the baby, the
child will die.  This condition is called sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS)
because the cause is not understood well enough to give it a more specific
name.
     Deaths due to SIDS usually occur at night, when the infant is asleep, and
are most common between the ages of one and four months.  SIDS is most common
in the winter months and affects boys more often than girls.  Although the
cause of death is not known, some experts believe SIDS is related to
abnormality or underdevelopment of the respiratory control center in the
brain.
     There are several factors that make some babies more susceptible to SIDS
than others.  If a child's parents are under 20 years of age when the child is
born or if they are poor, the risk of SIDS is increased.  If the mother did
not receive medical care during the pregnancy, was ill during the pregnancy,
or smoked or abused drugs during the pregnancy, the risk is also increased.
Infants of multiple births and infants who are born prematurely or whose birth
weight is below normal are especially susceptible.  Although SIDS is not
actually inherited, the risk is greater for infants whose parents have lost a
child to SIDS before and for infants from families in which SIDS has occurred
before.
     It has been determined that the baby's sleeping position does not play a
part in SIDS, nor does it matter whether a child is breast-fed or bottle-fed.

SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS

     There are no warning signs.  A diagnosis of SIDS can be made only after
death, when an autopsy does not reveal any other cause of death.
     If an infant has ever stopped breathing and then been revived or is
considered at risk for other reasons, the doctor may recommend that the child
undergo pneumography.  In this test, a machine is attached to the infant for
48 hours to record breathing patterns.  The periods of nonbreathing are
evaluated based on their number, their length, and how often they occur.  The
doctor can then determine if special treatment is necessary.

HOME CARE

     There is no specific treatment for SIDS, unless a diagnosis of a
high-risk condition has been made.

PRECAUTION

  -  Every parent should know how to revive an infant who has stopped
     breathing.  The best way to learn the proper technique is to take one of
     the courses in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) that are offered by
     local hospitals and community organizations.  If, for some reason,
     taking such a course is not possible, ask your doctor to demonstrate the
     technique.

MEDICAL TREATMENT

     If your baby is in a high-risk category (for example, if he has ever
stopped breathing or turned pale or blue, or if a pneumogram has shown
abnormal breathing patterns), there are two ways to protect him from SIDS.
     The first is to attach monitors to the infant whenever he or she is put
down to sleep.  Each time the infant stops breathing for an amount of time set
on the monitor, an alarm goes off.  These devices are not completely reliable,
and they can be disruptive to the whole family if they are used at home.
     The second possibility is for the doctor to prescribe regular doses of a
drug called theophylline, which stimulates the respiratory center of the brain
and is usually used to treat asthma.  In some infants, use of theophylline
protects against nonbreathing periods.  The long-term results of giving
theophylline to infants are not yet known, so the drug must be prescribed with
caution.  An infant who is being given theophylline as protection against SIDS
must be watched closely and have blood tests and pneumograms regularly.