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Campaign helps spread message about risk of SIDS
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Published: October 8, 2009
October is National SIDS Awareness Month, and to remind local parents how to keep their child safe and healthy, Iredell Memorial Hospital and the North Carolina Healthy Start Foundation are teaming up to give away onesies to newborn infants at the hospital. Every onesie is printed with the message, "Stomach to Play, Back to Sleep for Baby's Safe Sleep."
"We want to do whatever we can to keep infants in our community safe," said Cindy Gibson, manager of the Nursery at Iredell Memorial Hospital's Birth Place.
Gibson said that the hospital strives to educate parents year-round, but said it's difficult because new parents are bombarded with a lot of information before they leave the hospital.
"The onesie really grabs their attention," she said. "Every time that the baby wears it, it reminds them of how to keep their child safe."
SIDS is the unexpected death of an otherwise healthy infant in its sleep, and Gibson said that there is no known cause.
"Every other cause of death is ruled out and the child just doesn't wake up," she explained. "There has been a lot of research, and there is no explanation. All we can do is take precautions to keep babies as safe as possible."
SIDS is one of the leading causes of infant deaths, along with accidental suffocation and strangulation, according to the North Carolina Office of the Chief Medical Examiner. In 2005, the American Academy of Pediatrics said that the safest way for an infant to sleep is on its back.
"The baby should lie on a firm sleep surface; no beanbags, water beds or fuzzy blankets," Gibson said. "Keep all soft objects out of the crib. I know that it looks wonderful to dress up the nursery and have matching pillows and teddy bears, but all of that can be very dangerous to children under a year old.
Gibson said it's very important for parents to put their babies in a crib to sleep.
"One of the leading causes of accidental suffocation is parents falling asleep with their baby; maybe they were rocking the child in a recliner and fell asleep or had the child in bed with them, but an infant cannot turn its head at that age and will suffocate. They need their own space."
Gibson also warned against smoking near your child, having cords or balloon strings near the crib and overdressing your baby.
"You should dress your baby in one extra layer than you feel comfortable in, so if you are wearing a T-shirt and shorts, put your baby in long sleeves," she suggested.
She also wanted to put certain rumors to rest.
"I've heard all sorts of excuses as to why parents or caregivers don't want to place their child on their back, including grandparents who insist that they let their children sleep on their side and nothing happened or that the baby will develop a flat head from constantly laying down in one manner," she said. "That will absolutely never happen, since you will regularly pick up, hold and carry your baby around. Also, during the day, the baby will have tummy time to help it develop healthy neck muscles."
For more information, visit NCHealthyStart.org or call 919.828.1819.
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