Providing a safe place for babies to sleep is vital in lowering the risk of sudden infant death syndrome, or popularly known as SIDS. However, a new study found out that it's not the only thing parents need to consider when protecting their babies from the risk.
The new study, which is led by Dr. Richard Goldstein, was published on Tuesday, Dec. 2, and can now be found in the Online Journal Pediatrics. The latest findings suggested that, although public health campaigns against SIDS may have been effective, there are other factors that contribute to the risk.
To arrive at their conclusion, Goldstein and his team of researchers studied government data comprising over 900,000 infant deaths from 1983 to 2012, LiveScience reported. The study found that the rate of SIDS significantly decreased by 1992, the year when the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) placed recommendations that babies should sleep on their backs.
However, there are still cases of infant deaths despite parents observing safe practices for child sleeping. The new study showed that there are other factors that heighten the risk of the syndrome.
According to the researchers, there are three important elements that contribute to the risk. The first one is an intrinsic risk that should put the infant more prone to SIDS. An infant's stage of development also plays a role, with babies six months and below facing the greatest risk. The third element is the sleeping environment of the babies, as noted in the report.
The intrinsic risk mentioned above covers developmental, environmental and genetic contributors, the researchers added. For instance, male infants and those born preterm face a high SIDS risk.
Children born from mothers who smoked and drank alcohol during pregnancy are also at risk. In contrast, those babies who are breastfed are less likely to die from SIDS.
The study also found that addressing the intrinsic factors and not just making sure the baby has a safe place to sleep, may help prevent SIDS.
For instance, refraining from smoking while pregnant, choosing to breastfeed more often and getting routine prenatal exams helped in reducing the risk. Researchers also highlighted that these practices would continue to have a positive impact in the prevention of SIDS.
Despite the findings of the new study, Goldstein admitted that more work is needed to fully understand SIDS. "SIDS is still a mystery, and we need to apply science to try to explain it," he said.
In the meantime, Dr. Rachel Moon and Dr. Fern Hauck wrote in the study's editorial advising parents to continue doing what they can to prevent SIDS as recommended by the AAP. These practices include:
- letting babies on their backs;
- removing loose beddings and soft toys from the crib;
- getting prenatal care and avoiding smoking; and
- breastfeeding
