Sudden child death syndrome or death in a cradle. Causes and risk factors

Sudden child death syndrome or death in a cradle. Causes and risk factors

Sudden children's death syndrome is an inexplicable cause of death from birth to 1 year old, sounds like an absurd sentence. It turns out that the risk of “death in the cradle” can be reduced by preventing dangerous factors.

Sudden children's death syndrome (SVDS) or "death in the cradle" They call an unrelated cause of the death of an absolutely healthy child. The baby did not bother anything, he was healthy and had fun before going to bed.

And after a few hours, the children's heart stopped forever - the baby will never wake up again, will not smile at his mother, will not cry and will not be delighted with a new toy. When the shocked, grief, parents are trying to find out the cause of the tragedy, it turns out that a pathological examination cannot explain why the child died. Then the SVDS becomes the only diagnosis. Posthumous.

Doctors often cannot explain the cause of the death of infants
Doctors often cannot explain the cause of the death of infants

Causes of sudden childhood death syndrome

SVDS has not been fully studied in full. Scientists only shrug their hands when another tragedy happens to a healthy child from a prosperous family. Therefore, the exact causes of sudden death of babies are still not determined. We can only talk about the most probable reasons, among which:

  • apna of sleep
  • violation of the rhythm of the heart
  • congenital pathology of arteries supplying the brain of the brain
  • a combination of a slight deterioration in well -being and nervous shock
  • infectious processes in the body
  • pulling the vertebral artery

In addition to the reasons for the SVDS, it is worth noting some factors that can lead to tragedy:

  • during pregnancy, the mother smoked, took drugs, consumed alcohol
  • premature baby
  • there was a intrauterine delay in the development of the fetus
  • baby's sleep on the side or on the stomach
  • soft bed, using a pillow for sleeping
  • the presence of toys, nipple, bottle in the crib
  • increased air temperature in the bedroom
  • smoking parents
Smoking during pregnancy can cause SVDS
Smoking during pregnancy can cause SVDS

Important: if you eliminate the reasons for without depending on the circumstances and quality of life of the child, it is not possible to exclude the majority of risk factors to protect the baby from the SVDS, to each parent.

Statistics of sudden child death syndrome. Studies about sudden children's death syndrome

Based on medical research of recent years, the statistics of the SVDS appeared:

  • children of the white race die 2 times more often than black children
  • sudden death occurs in 3 children out of 1000
  • 65% of dead children - men's infants
  • 90% of the CVDS cases are 2 to 4 months old
  • the most dangerous age of the baby is 13 weeks
  • 6 out of 10 cases of SVDS occur due to the fault of parents
  • 40% of children on the eve of death appeared signs of SARS (runny nose, light coughing, slight increase in body temperature)
  • the lowest indicators of the SVDS in Holland and Israel (0.1 to 1000), the highest - in Italy and Australia
  • most sudden children's deaths fall in the cold season (October - March)

Important: even if in all indicators the child is at the risk zone of the SVDS, you should not worry very much. It is necessary to make maximum efforts to create favorable safe living conditions for the baby and simply wait out the dangerous period.

Many babies on the eve of death noted a slight increase in temperature
Many babies on the eve of death noted a slight increase in temperature

What age is a sudden childhood death syndrome?

SVDS is considered to be the cause of the death of children from newborn to one year. But in fact, the risk of the syndrome is significantly reduced with the advent of the child's abilities to turn over, sit down, get in the crib, that is, after six months.

Когда ребенок научится самостоятельно поворачиваться, сидеть и ползать, риск наступления свдс резко сокращается
Когда ребенок научится самостоятельно поворачиваться, сидеть и ползать, риск наступления СВДС резко сократится

Sudden child death syndrome: True and myths

The secret of the SVDS has not yet been disclosed, perhaps that is why it has overgrown with all kinds of terrible stories and terrible stories, which in most cases are very far from the truth.

Joint sleep. A common myth of a joint dream of a mother and child convinces that a mother can crush a baby in a dream. Therefore, it is not recommended to sleep the baby with his parents.

Video: Joint sleep with a child

In fact, a joint dream with his mother is able to warn the SVDS. The baby synchronizes his breathing with the breath of the mother and breathes with her over the period of sleep. In addition, mothers of babies sleep very sensitively. If the child is nearby, mom is able to instantly recognize even the slightest deviations in the breath or behavior of her baby.

A joint dream with parents can cause the SVDS in exceptional cases
A joint dream with parents can cause the SVDS in exceptional cases

Important: in cases where the mother smokes and consumes alcohol, a joint sleep, on the contrary, greatly increases the risk of SVDS.

Swaddling. There is an opinion that in a dream children who do not swing. Is it possible to protect the baby from the SVDS swaddling? I guess, yes. After all, if the baby’s movements are in no way limited, he can accidentally roll over or throw a blanket over his head.

IMPORTANT: You can not swing the child too tight - this limits the child's breathing and increases the risk of SVDS.

Tight swaddling can cause SVDS
Tight swaddling can cause SVDS

SVDS and a nipple-dummy. Many mothers refuse to use dummy, because nothing good should be expected from a piece of rubber. However, the most ordinary dummy is able to reduce the risk of SVDS. The nipple will help the air enter the respiratory system, even if the baby accidentally rolled over on his stomach or covered with a blanket.

Important: it is best to start accustoming the baby to the dummy when breastfeeding is completely established. However, if the child refuses to take a pacifier, it is not necessary to insist.

An ordinary dummy is able to protect the baby from random death in a dream
An ordinary dummy is able to protect the baby from random death in a dream

Sudden child death syndrome and vaccination

The start period of vaccination coincides with the peak of infant mortality due to the SVDS. This fact began to arouse suspicion among mothers of anti-signs. Still would. If some consider children's vaccination to be a source of all troubles and health problems, why, unknowingly, do not blame it for the deaths of babies?

But statistics and research results convince the opposite: vaccinated children die in a dream less often of their unexplored peers. In addition, the risk of dying of heart or breathing in a dream during an infectious disease in not vaccinated children is much higher.

Vaccination and SVDS are in no way interconnected
SVDS is in no way connected with planned vaccination

When is the syndrome of children's death turned out to be a murder?

Many children's deaths have quite explained reasons. In most cases, the death of infants leads the deliberate or unexpected careless behavior of their parents. When the autopsy and the expert commission detects violent factors, the diagnosis: “SVDS” changes to the verdict: “Murder”.

Deliberate strangulation. There are cases when the baby was deliberately strangled by one of his own parents. Getting angry with a long loud cry, an adult covering a helpless baby with a heavy pillow, blocking the access of oxygen.

Death due to shaking. In moments when adults shake the child by the shoulders, trying to calm him in this way, they do not even imagine that their baby is on the hair from death. The neck of young children is still so weak that even several sharp severe fluctuations in the head can lead to serious brain damage. The consequences of such shaking are often a loss of consciousness, coma and death.

Carewood in a dream. It occurs unintentional, during a joint sleep of mother and child. Women who take sleeping pills are prone to deep sleep or drink alcohol cannot be laid down next to them. The people say about such cases: "I had a child."

Mother can accidentally block the baby breathing, crushing him in a dream
Mother can accidentally block the baby breathing, crushing him in a dream

Prevention of sudden child death syndrome

The prevention of the SVDS does not give a 100% guarantee that everything will be in order with the baby, because it is impossible to predict the tragedy. But having provided the child as favorable conditions, you can significantly reduce the risk of accidental death.

  • The child should only sleep on his back. The baby’s sleep on the tummy is several times increasing the possibility of accidental strangulation. The kid can play for a short time lying on his stomach, but only in the presence of adults
  • The baby cannot be overheated. The optimum temperature in the sleep room should not exceed 22 ° C
  • You can not cover the baby with a blanket, it is better to use a children's sleeping bag
  • Tight swaddling should be excluded, as it squeezes the chest and prevents normal breathing
  • It is unacceptable that the strong smells of tobacco, spirits or alcohol come from parents
  • You can not put the child in your bed, if the parents are very tired, took alcohol or sleeping pills, can fall asleep tightly
  • So that the child does not choke in the vomiting, before bedtime you need to hold it with a column, giving the opportunity to burst
  • In the arena, sides and a canopy should not be used - all these fashionable and beautiful accessories prevent the flow of air into the crib
  • You can not leave toys, rattles and dummies in the baby's crib
  • The child’s bed should not be too soft. The best option for sleeping a baby is a hard mattress
  • When the child falls asleep, you need to offer him a dummy. Nipples - dummy significantly reduce the risk of SVDS
  • At least up to six months, the child should sleep in the same room with parents
Correct pose for sleeping a baby - lying on the back
Correct pose for sleeping a baby - lying on the back

What to do when breathing in a child?

If the parents noticed that the baby’s breathing stopped, you need to act urgently. It is necessary to immediately take the child in his arms and with one quick movement to take his fingers along his spine in the direction from the bottom up, try to wake up, slightly shaking.

Then it should be intense, but at the same time, with soft movements, massage earlobes, fingers on the arms and legs of the child. After such actions, breathing should return. After such a case, parents should contact the pediatrician as soon as possible.

Important: if the child did not manage to return breathing on his own, you need to urgently call an ambulance and start resuscitation: artificial breathing and heart massage.

If it seemed to mom that the child stopped breathing, you need to try to wake him right away
If it seemed to mom that the child stopped breathing, you need to try to wake him right away

How to avoid sudden children's death syndrome: tips and reviews

Council No. 1. To control the state of babies at risk or suffering from frequent long -term cases, special sensors are used. They act according to the principle of radio tower, they only respond to long stops of baby breathing and heart rate deviations. Also, for the prevention of SVDS, they use fixers that do not allow the child to roll over on the stomach during sleep.

Baby breathing sensor
Baby breathing sensor

Council No. 2. You can avoid the SVDS by paying special attention to the child in such situations:

  • any disease with an increase in body temperature, worsening or difficulty breathing
  • sluggish state, causeless fatigue, rejection of food and drinking
  • deep sleep after a strong prolonged crying
  • sleep in a new crib, under unusual conditions
  • the age of the child is 2 - 4 months

Irina, Mom Ruslan (1 year): I believe that the first prevention of the SVDS is breastfeeding. And the baby should sleep with his mother. Of course, the first time you will have to clean all the pillows and blankets, which will deliver certain inconvenience. But the child will feel safe, hearing the mother’s breath, and will be able to “tune” with one rhythm with her.

Elena, Mom Yasmina (5 months): I am very afraid of the SVDS, so I took all possible measures to prevent it: my daughter sleeps in our room in a separate crib, the mattress is hard, we are constantly ventilated in the room. In addition, my husband and I lead a healthy lifestyle - we do not drink and do not smoke. Therefore, I think that nothing threatens our baby.

Vika, Mom Angelina (7 months): The daughter was born deeply premature. In the first months of her life, she often had breath holdings in a dream. I was very afraid to lose the child, so in the literal sense I was on duty at the baby’s crib at night, listening to her breathing. When it seemed to me that she was not breathing, I grabbed her in her arms and woke her. My girl was angry and cried, but I calmed down. Now the attacks of apnea have stopped, the daughter was strengthened and grew up. I'm not so afraid for her.

Parents who got acquainted with the causes and factors contributing to the development of sudden childhood death syndrome should try to reduce the likelihood of its occurrence by all means. If mom and pope of the baby follow all the rules for caring for the child, you can confidently talk about the minimum risks of the CDS.

Video: “Death in the cradle” Syndrome of sudden childhood death



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