Risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)

My sweetheart suddenly passed away while he was still healthy, causing great pain to his parents. The most likely culprit is SIDS - Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.

According to research, the sudden infant death syndrome has killed most children aged 2 to 4 months. So what are the features and causes of this dangerous syndrome?

What is Sudden Infant Death Syndrome?

Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) is not a common disease or illness. Rather, it is the diagnosis made when a child under 1 year dies suddenly without the exact cause being immediately found. To clarify the reason, health professionals must trace the medical history of both the child and the parent, carefully study the child's death and do an autopsy. The syndrome occurs without any warning signs, making SIDS a major obsession for many families.

Sudden infant death syndrome can occur at any time but is usually between 10 p.m. and 10 a.m. Approximately 16-20% of SIDS deaths occur in child care, most commonly within the first week of life.

Causes of SIDS syndrome

Most experts believe that SIDS occurs when a child has a serious disability in the heart, respiratory system or an incomplete response organ. In addition, the compressed airway when sleeping in a tummy position, sleeping in a bed with too many objects or a soft bed, sleeping with parents can also cause sudden death in a child.

Babies dying of SIDS have lower serotonin levels in the brain than normal. Serotonin helps to regulate breathing rate, heart rate and blood pressure during sleep.

Factors that increase the risk of SIDS

Sudden death syndrome will appear in babies with the following factors:

Preterm or very low birth weight. The premature birth, the higher the risk of SIDS. Likewise, the lower the body weight, the higher the risk of this syndrome;

Born when a mother is under 20 years of age. Teenage mothers have a higher risk of having a baby dying suddenly than older mothers;

Large family and close birth gap. The risk of sudden death syndrome in children increases with each baby. In addition, the shorter the interval between pregnancies, the higher the risk of having a baby with SIDS. Twins double the risk of getting SIDS (even if babies are not born prematurely or low weight). If the baby got SIDS in the previous pregnancy, the risk of sudden death of the baby in the womb is 5 times;

Going through life-threatening times. Babies who have experienced the most fatal of life-threatening situations such as apnea and cyanosis, pallor, illness and need for emergency resuscitation are at higher risk of SIDS;

It's a boy. About 30-50% of boys have a higher risk of dying from SIDS than girls.

Sudden Child Death Syndrome (SIDS) has been and is a silent enemy of many children. Parents need to equip carefully with medical knowledge to prevent the worst situation from happening to their baby at birth.