Cot deaths mystery is frightening say experts.A LACK of answers is what makes sudden infant death syndrome sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) or crib death, sudden, unexpected, and unexplained death of an apparently healthy infant under one year of age (usually between two weeks and eight months old). (SIDS SIDS sudden infant death syndrome. SIDS abbr. sudden infant death syndrome SIDS, n See syndrome, sudden infant death. ) so frightening, an expert said yesterday. "SIDS is the leading cause of death among infants who are one month to one year old and claims the lives of about 2,500 infants each year in the US alone," said Salmaniya Medical Complex (SMC SMC Saint Mary's College SMC Santa Monica College SMC Solaris Management Console SMC Smooth Muscle Cell SMC Small Magellanic Cloud (also see LMC) SMC Safety Management Certificate (maritime shipping) ) Accident and Emergency department chief resident Dr P V Cheriyan. "The only thing that we know about SIDS is that we do not know anything. "As the name implies, it is the sudden and unexplained death of an infant. It is a frightening prospect because it can strike without warning, usually in a seemingly healthy infant." He said most SIDS deaths were associated with sleep (hence the common reference to "cot death cot death n. Chiefly British Sudden infant death syndrome. cot death Noun the unexplained sudden death of a baby while asleep Noun 1. ") and infants who die of SIDS show no signs of suffering. "While most conditions or diseases usually are diagnosed by the presence of specific symptoms, most SIDS diagnoses come only after all other possible causes of death have been ruled out, through a review of the infant's medical history and environment," said Dr Cheriyan. He said there were no figures on SIDS deaths in Bahrain but said there was reasonable evidence to believe they were at a par with the rest of the world, with around one death per 2,500 births. "Most deaths due to SIDS occur between two and four months of age and incidence increases during cold weather," said Dr Cheriyan. He said more boys than girls fall victim to SIDS. Potential risk factors include smoking by parents, drinking, or drug use during pregnancy; poor prenatal care prenatal care, n the health care provided the mother and fetus before childbirth. ; prematurity or low birth-weight; mothers younger than 20; smoke exposure following birth; overheating Overheating An economy that is growing very quickly, with the risk of high inflation. from excessive sleepwear and bedding, or the baby sleeping on its stomach. Foremost among these risk factors is sleeping on the stomach, said Dr Cheriyan. "Many studies have found a higher incidence of SIDS among babies placed on their stomachs to sleep than among those sleeping on their backs or sides," he said. "Some researchers have hypothesised that sleeping on the stomach puts pressure on a child's jaw, therefore narrowing the airway and hampering breathing." Another theory is that it can increase an infant's risk of "rebreathing re·breath·ing n. The partial or complete inhalation of previously exhaled gases. rebreathing, n breathing into a closed system. " his or her own exhaled air, particularly if the infant is sleeping on a soft mattress or with bedding, stuffed toys, or a pillow near the face. "In that scenario, the soft surface could create a small enclosure around the baby's mouth and trap exhaled air," said Dr Cheriyan. "As the baby breathes exhaled air, the oxygen level in the body drops and carbon dioxide carbon dioxide, chemical compound, CO2, a colorless, odorless, tasteless gas that is about one and one-half times as dense as air under ordinary conditions of temperature and pressure. accumulates. "Eventually, this lack of oxygen could contribute to SIDS." Copyright 2008 Gulf Daily News Provided by Syndigate.info an Albawaba.com company |
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