Question

The phenomenon of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) continues to remain somewhat of a mystery in terms of its causes and risk factors. The American Academy of Pediatrics have put out some recommendations. What are they? If you were to work with parents who have lost an infant to SIDS, what key factors would you have to take into consideration? Give three examples and state why. DISCUSSION FORUM QUEST

Answer 1

The recommendations of the American Academy of Pediatrics for the sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) include;

Having a safe sleep environment, supine positioning, having a firm sleep surface, room-sharing without bed-sharing, and the avoiding of soft bedding and overheating.

Exposure to smoke should be avoided, alcohol and illicit drugs should also be avoided; breastfeeding should be done along with the routine immunization; and use of a pacifier.

If I were to work with parents who have lost an infant to SIDS, the key factors that I would have to take into consideration include;

Having the emotional support of friends and family is essential; for the parents of a child who died due to SIDS.

Informing the parents about the fact that, unintended injuries are the leading cause of death in children age 1 to 14 so they should be very careful to ensure that SIDS does not occur next time in their life.

Informing the parents that the bed-sharing for parents who do not smoke has a risk of SIDS, (Carpenter, 2013) and thus it should be avoided so that the mishap does not occur in future.