Sudden Infant Death Syndrome- SIDS
The public health topic that I chose is Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). This topic is of particular interest to me because much of my career has been spent working with infants. I am also interested in the possible cultural connections.
Hauck & Tanabe (2008) report that SIDS is the leading cause of death for infants between 1 month and 1 year in the United States and most developed countries around the world. There has been a dramatic decrease in SIDS due in large part the Back to Sleep campaign. The reduction for most countries was well over 50%. The authors point out that risk factors for SIDS vary across countries and for certain populations. For instance smoking rates among certain populations may be responsible for increased rates of SIDS related deaths. According to the National SUID/SIDS Resource Center the SIDS rate remains significantly higher among certain racial and ethnic groups, including non-Hispanic Blacks and American Indian/Alaska Natives. In 2006, 12.2 % of all infants in the United States were placed in a prone position for sleeping while the rate for black infants was 21.9%.
SIDS in other Countries and Cultures
According to Gantley & Murcott (1993), “in various parts of the world (for example South East Asia) and in certain ethnic minority groups in this country-England (for example Bangladeshi people) the incidence of SIDS is very much lower in spite of greater social and environmental disadvantages that would generally indicate a higher incidence of SIDS and giving rise to the hypothesis that infant care practices could somehow be protective”. In the book Our Babies, Ourselves, Small (1998) discusses the surprising distribution of SIDS across cultures. She notes that while industrialized nations such as the United States and Canada where there is adequate access to prenatal care and good nutrition, there are also unexpectedly high rates of SIDS. In contrast, SIDS is lowest in Asia. Studies of Asian immigrants in the California found that the rate of SIDS was half that of the non-Asian population. She also states that the rate of SIDS for immigrants was highest for those groups that had been in the U.S. longer and had adopted Western childcare practices. In Britain, immigrants from West Africa, Bangladesh and Pakistan all had low rates of SIDS. Gantly & Murcott (1993) found that in addition to supine sleeping, the Bangladeshi infants in England experienced relatively low SIDS possibly because of their rich sensory environment. They concluded that “long periods of lone quiet sleep may be one factor that contributes to a higher rate of sudden deaths in white than in Asian infants” (Gantley and Murcott, 1993).
The success of the Back to Sleep campaign is undeniable, however, there are other risk factors that are associated with SIDS that have not received the same attention as sleep position. Maternal smoking during pregnancy, infant overheating, child care and the sleep environment can all be all possible risks. There is also research from several studies performed in the United States and other industrialized nations that demonstrate an increased risks of SIDS among babies who receive formula instead of breast milk. Since I have daily contact with the parents of infants, I have the opportunity to share this information with them. My experience has been that many parents still are not aware of the risks associated with SIDS and how they can reduce these risks for their infant.
http://www.sidscenter.org/Statistics.html National SUID/SIDS Resource center
Gantley, M. & Murcott, A. (1993). The sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS): Possible socio-cultural links with infant care practices. Welsh Paedeatrics Journal, 5:15-16. Retrieved from
Hauck F, Tanabe K. 2008. International trends in sudden infant death syndrome: stabilization of rates requires further action. Pediatrics 122; 660-666. Retrieved from http://www.ispid.org/fileadmin/user_upload/textfiles/articles/CPR17_Hauck_SIDS_Trends.pdf
http://www.sidscenter.org/Statistics.html National SUID/SIDS Resource center
Small, M. (1998) Our babies, ourselves: How biology and culture shape the way we parent. New York, NY: Random House, Inc.
Great Post!! This has always been scary for me. I was so afraid of losing my baby to SIDS that I began watching her sleep. It took a toll on me for awhile, but with the help of my husband, my mother and my sister I made it through until she grew older. I also began to realize that when we entered the world our days were numbered and when God chooses to call us home that will just be our time.
ReplyDeleteI have been made aware of SIDS for quite sometime now however, more recently, I have met someone who has lost a son to SIDS. The person had a devastating loss and is not afraid to educate others on this topic. Since the death of her son, she has informed others of the SIDS and has continued to increase her family with the birth of three beautiful girls.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the informed post.