Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), also known as cot death, is the sudden, unexplained death of an infant aged between one month and one year. This remains unexplained even after a thorough investigation, including a detailed examination of the circumstances and location of the death, a review of the medical history and a full autopsy.
It peaks between 2 and 4 months of age, especially in the winter period, and is rarer after 6 months. In the first month, SUEND (Sudden Unexpected Early Neonatal Death) is a separate entity.
What can I do to reduce the risk?
Dear parents, there are some behaviours you can do to significantly reduce the incidence of SIDS:
- the baby should be put to sleep in the supine position (on its back, on its stomach) from the first days of life;
- the baby should sleep in your room, next to your bed, but on a separate surface (cradle or cot), to avoid unintentionally smothering him or her with your body, turning you over in your sleep (sleeping together with your baby is particularly dangerous if it happens on a sofa). A possible alternative to bed sharing is to keep your baby on his or her own bed only while you breastfeed him or her, then moving him or her to the cot after feeding and cuddling;
- the temperature of the room where your baby sleeps should never be too hot (it should be kept between 16 and 20 °C) and excess clothing and blankets should also be avoided;
- the mattress should be the exact size of the cradle/bed and sufficiently rigid; placing the baby on excessively soft surfaces (even quilts) increases the risk of SIDS
avoid using a pillow; - on the surface where the baby sleeps, there should be no objects (e.g. pillows, quilts, duvets, bumper pads, stuffed toys, cords, small toys) that can suffocate, entrap, strangle or injure the baby;
- the baby should be placed with its feet touching the bottom of the cot or cot, so that it cannot slip under the blankets, which should be tucked tightly under the mattress (a 'sleeping bag' may be a good alternative);
- always leave the child's head free/uncovered;
- never let him sleep in the direct sun, attached to a heater or using an electric blanket;
the environment must be smoke-free, which means no smoking and, above all, preventing others from smoking in the house. Smoking reduces the presence of oxygen in the air; - the use of the dummy or dummy during sleep has a protective effect, but should be proposed after the first month of life (so as not to interfere with the start of breastfeeding) and discontinued if possible by the age of one year (to prevent it from disturbing the good development of the teeth). If the child refuses the dummy, it should not be forced and, if it loses it during sleep, it is not compulsory to replace it in the mouth.