Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)

When you have your first child, all you do is worry. I spent many nights going in the bedroom, looking in the crib just to make sure she was breathing. Sudden infant death syndrome is a situation in which a seemingly healthy  infant, at least 2 months of age, suddenly stops breathing and dies unexpectedly while asleep (Berger, 2009). I had heard so much about SIDS after I had my baby, that I was so worried. I'd never done any research on it, but I had heard to make sure they sleep on their back and not their belly to reduce the risk of SIDS. 2-6 month old babies tend to be the time of highest SIDS deaths (Berger, 2009). In 1970, the infant mortality rates was almost triple what it was in 2010. India has the highest mortality rates. On mayoclinic.com I found that boys are more likely than girls to die from SIDS. For reasons that aren't well understood, black, American Indian or Eskimo infants are more likely to develop SIDS. Babies who've had siblings or cousins die of SIDS are at higher risk of SIDS themselves. The risk of SIDS is also affected by maternal factors associated with the pregnancy, including: Mother under the age of 20, Smoking cigarettes, Drug or alcohol use and Inadequate prenatal care (mayo clinic). I have read that low socioeconomic status increases the rate of SIDS (Berger, 2009). Also that long periods of lone sleep may contribute to higher rates of SIDS among white infants. Mothers who breast feed and tend to their sleeping babies, such as caressing a cheek or repositioning a limb have a less likelihood of SIDS (Berger, 2009). Here's what I found on Infant Mortality/SIDS in Mexico:

Among Hispanic Americans, the infant mortality rate ranges from 4.8 per 1,000 live births for Central and South americans to 7.3 per 1,000 live births for Puerto Ricans.  Puerto Rican Americans have a 30% higher infant mortality rate as compared to non-Hispanic Whites.  Hispanic mothers are almost twice as more likely to begin prenatal care in the 3rd trimester or not receive prenatal care at all as compared to non-Hispanic white mothers. 

• In 2008, infant mortality rates for Hispanic subpopulations ranged from 4.8 per 1,000 live births to 7.3 per 1,000 live births, compared to the non-Hispanic white infant mortality rate of 5.6 per 1,000 live births.
• In 2008, Puerto Ricans had 1.3 times the infant mortality rate of non-Hispanic whites.
• Puerto Rican infants were twice as likely to die from causes related to low birthweight, compared to non-Hispanic white infants.
• Mexican American mothers were 1.9 times as likely as non-Hispanic white mothers to begin prenatal care in the 3rd trimester, or not receive prenatal care at all. (minorityhealth).

I learned that to reduce the risk of SIDS in children, dress them lightly, lay them on their back, tend to them often, sleeping in the same room as someone reduces the risk. I will use this in the future for the sake of my own children. I will also educate parents on it also. I would love to be an advocate to parents in Mexico or India where the SIDS is high risk. It is definitly heart breaking to see any child die. I would love to be the one to educate parents to prevent these deaths in children. Luckily, the numbers have decreased greatly. Hopefully, they will continue to decrease to an even smaller number.

http://minorityhealth.hhs.gov/templates/content.aspx?ID=3329
Berger, K. S. (2009). The developing person through childhood (5th ed.). New York, NY: Worth Publishers.