Sudden death syndrome occurs when the apparently healthy baby dies unexpectedly and inexplicably during sleep, before the first year of age.
Although the causes of the baby’s unexplained death are unclear, there are factors that can increase the risk of this happening. Therefore, it is important to take steps to protect your baby from sudden death syndrome, such as lying on his or her back. in the crib, for example.
- Although its cause is not fully understood.
- Some chances indicate that sudden death may be related to the mechanism that controls breathing during sleep.
- By a part of the still immature brain.
- Which develops during the first year of life.
- During which time there is an increased risk of developing this syndrome.
Other causes may include low birth weight and respiratory infections, which can make breathing difficult.
In addition, sudden death syndrome may also be related to certain risk factors such as:
Sudden death is more common in winter, especially in the colder regions of Brazil, such as Rio Grande do Sul, where more cases have been reported, but it can also occur in summer in the hottest places.
It is also thought that the increased risk of this syndrome is when the baby has very warm clothing and blankets, which causes the body to overheat, leaving him more comfortable and tending to wake up less often. In addition, in the face of high temperatures, the baby often has short stops to breathe, a situation called childhood apnea.
Learn more about latent apnea, also known as ALTE
The only way to prevent sudden death of the baby is to avoid the risk factors mentioned above and care for the baby, making his or her crib a safe place to rest. Strategies that may help include:
Sudden death syndrome is not fully understood and more research is needed to understand its causes.
The baby can only sleep face down after 1 year, that is, when there is no risk of sudden death syndrome. Until then, the baby should only sleep on his or her back, as this position is the safest and, since the baby’s head will be on its side, it will not drown.