One of the most devastating things that any new parent can go through is the sudden death of their child. Most parents will never quite recover from such a horrific experience, often blaming themselves for the loss, despite the fact that many times there is absolutely nothing the parent could have done to prevent their infant's death. One of the most common occurrences cited for the death of an infant is Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, or more commonly known as SIDS, which takes the lives of well over 3,000 unfortunate babies per year.
The scariest thing that parents have to face about this devastating occurrence is that there has yet to be a specific reason for why it strikes, causing fear and panic among newborn parents everywhere. Fortunately, while there isn't a specific cause that has been pinpointed, there are preventative measures to take that can lower the overall risk of SIDS striking.
Below, I have listed 3 methods which are likely to help your child be at a much lower risk of dying from SIDS.
1) Never allow your infant to fall asleep on their stomach.
This is one of the most quoted preventative measures for reducing the risk of SIDS. It has been repeatedly stated throughout many studies over the years that a child's risk of SIDS is greatly increased should they be allowed to sleep on their stomach. It is incredibly important that you, your significant other, and anyone who will be watching or babysitting your child are totally aware of this fact and do not ever attempt to let your child sleep on their stomach.
2) Keep your body in great physical condition during your pregnancy.
This means that you must never smoke cigarettes yourself, or even be around others who are smoking, as the smoke inhalation can be very dangerous to your child's well being. The physical aspects of your body should also include alcohol consumption: there should be absolutely none of it. You should also obviously avoid any types of drug use as well. Speak to your doctor about prescribed medication to be sure.
3) Purchase a SIDS monitor in an effort to monitor your child while you sleep.
No parent can keep an eye on their child 24 hours a day and each parent will also need to sleep their own self as well. This is something that often scares new parents because they never want their child to leave their site in case something unfortunate happens. Fortunately, a SIDS monitor is something you can attach to your baby's diaper, allowing them to be monitored while you sleep yourself. If the baby stops moving or briefing for a specific amount of time, the monitor will vibrate in an effort to get the baby moving again. If the child is not respond to the vibration, a loud sound will project from the monitor and wake up the parents in the adjacent room.
