The public health topic that I think is
meaningful to me is (SIDS) sudden infant death syndrome. This topic is
important to me, because I work in a center that serves children from six
week old, all the way to school age children. I have had the opportunity to
work in the infant classroom room as a floater or to cover lunch breaks. The infant
rooms where I work has a large variety
of different age infants, some six weeks, two months, six months, ten months
etc. We have training once a year on sudden infant death syndrome, to keep the
teachers aware that this is real and how to properly take care of infants to
prevent this from occurring.
Sudden infant death syndrome
(SIDS) is the unexpected, sudden death of a child under age 1 in which an
autopsy does not show an explainable cause of death.
Causes, incidence, and risk factors
The cause
of SIDS is unknown. Many doctors and researchers now believe that SIDS is
caused by several different factors, including:
- Problems with the baby's
ability to wake up (sleep arousal)
- Inability for the baby's body
to detect a buildup of carbon dioxide in the blood
SIDS rates
have dropped dramatically since 1992, when parents were first told to put
babies to sleep on their backs or sides to reduce the likelihood of SIDS.
Unfortunately, SIDS remains a significant cause of death in infants under one
year old. Thousands of babies die of SIDS in the United States each year. SIDS
is most likely to occur between 2 and 4 months of age. SIDS affects boys more
often than girls. Most SIDS deaths occur in the winter.
The following have been linked to a
baby's increased risk of SIDS:
- Sleeping on the stomach
- Being around cigarette smoke while in the womb or after
being born
- Sleeping in the same bed as their parents (co-sleeping)
- Soft bedding in the crib
- Multiple birth babies (being a twin, triplet, etc.)
- Premature birth
- Having a brother or sister who had SIDS
- Mothers who smoke or use illegal drugs
- Being born to a teen mother
- Short time period between pregnancies
- Late or no prenatal care
- Living in poverty situations
I decided to check the sudden infant death
syndrome in Korea, I found out that (SIDS) does occur in Korea, because many of
the above factors, that occurs to American babies. I found out that in Korea, it’s
a cultural belief and tradition to have babies sleep with adults or siblings,
because this encourages breast feeding and bonding with the mother and or
siblings. Also, in the Korean culture, most babies are found in a blanket on
the floor or in an adult bed. This finding reflects
a Korean tradition of placing an infant on a blanket over a Korean-style floor
(ondol) The “Back to sleep” campaign has gained attention in Korea to
help educate parent and to help reduce the incidents of sudden infant death
syndrome.
Sudden infant death syndrome rates have declined dramatically with the “Back
to sleep” campaign. As an educator I will continue to stay abreast with the latest
developments about this heath topic and advocate for my parents, by providing
them with information and resources to help them learn more about this silent
killer.
Resources
