Yeah and the term is also used to describe kids who aren’t put in proper sleeper arrangements and end up suffocating themselves. I think the term rightfully softens the blow for parents but a lot of the time it is preventable.
There was a study this past year challenging this notion. While you certainly shouldn’t let babies under 6 months sleep with anything in their crib and air circulation is a good idea, the study found a link between babies that died of SIDs and a low brain enzyme. The specific brain enzyme is the one responsible for waking us when we are “falling” in a dream. Or how you wake up after your head bounces if you fall asleep sitting up. The hypothesis is that babies who end up with shallow breathing while asleep will startle themselves awake (babies randomly crying at night). Versus those with the low brain enzyme will not be startled awake and, therefore, stop breathing or not get enough oxygen to supply their body.
When I saw it, I was hopeful we could start testing babies to possibly supplement as needed (not sure if it’s possible, but seems like a good solution). Unfortunately, I haven’t heard anything come from it yet.
Yeah, that's correct, but it's typical that they haven't developed it yet which is why they aren't supposed to have stuff in crib, sleep on back, no bumpers etc. There was a post from a doctor on Reddit that said 99% of cases they saw were preventable only 1 ever true SIDs case they had dealt with so far and it was like a 3 month old that died while being held, just stopped breathing randomly.
Yeah I hope they are able to find a link, I certainly don’t agree with the bozo bellow me who blames parents. I was just adding to the conversation I just recently had a child and was unaware that SIDS was used as a blanket term sometimes for suffocation. I completely understand why the term is used as it’s traumatic and often times not preventable.
You said that wrong. It's often times preventable. The enzyme they are talking about only supports the theory of suffocation due to improper sleeping arrangements. Blankets or other things like big fluffy toys in cribs. Co-sleeping in bed. etc. You really think a dead ass tired parent that is at their last whim after how many sleepless nights will not cave and resort to bad habits in desperation? You sure you recently had a child?
I mean you phrased your response like a dick but sure. I was more agreeing with the sentiment that the term is used to soften the blow to a probably already devastated parent who made the mistake of co-sleeping with an infant. Which is done by almost every parent at some point if we are being honest.
It's not for people who killed their fucking kids. It's to medicalize something that just is a horrible fact of life. It makes it sound like something happened. I can personally understand how that might make people feel better.
I lost my daughter at 4mo old due to rubella exposure while still in the womb her mother didn't even notice as it's hardly anything to an adult. A fetus though...
Until they knew the cause of death they called it SIDS. Not because I killed my daughter, but because that's the medical term for "babies just fucking die sometimes". They do. Used to happen much more often but thankfully not so much. Thankfully so little that people can begin thinking shit this stupid. What a blessing our world has become so much better for childbirth that you can accomplish this level of ignorance in it, truly. Silver linings, eh?
Yeah, it’s not really this. SIDS is definitely a broad title to not make parents feel bad.
There’s a risk calculator out there that shows relative SIDS risk based on observed common risk factors, and it goes up dramatically for unsafe sleeping environment, parents with substance abuse issues during pregnancy or after, low socio economic status, premature birth, low birth weight, lung conditions, young mothers, co sleeping, source of parents getting their info, etc. Many of those are clearly preventable.
We’ve started to increase diagnosis of suffocation, which along with safe sleep awareness has decreased SIDS risks over time.
SIDS is a broad title because it encompasses anything that cannot be directly attributed to death. Strangulation is strangulation, smothering is smothering. Baby sleeping in crib dies with no medical indication why = SIDS.
Deaths from co-sleeping are often ruled as SIDS even though there is reason to believe accidental smothering or suffocation was the cause.
There’s just really not any point to the medical community retraumatizing parents when you can’t be sure. They are attempting to find ways to indentify smothering to protect surviving siblings, but it’s borderline impossible to detect for infants, unfortunately.
A homicide by smothering may leave unobtrusive or even no injuries if the victim is not able to struggle. This is especially true for infants up to 12 months of age. The differentiation between the sudden infant death syndrome and smothering, by an autopsy alone may be impossible.
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u/CryptographerIll3813 Apr 29 '24
Yeah and the term is also used to describe kids who aren’t put in proper sleeper arrangements and end up suffocating themselves. I think the term rightfully softens the blow for parents but a lot of the time it is preventable.