SIDS Cause, Risk & Prevention: Sudden Infant Death Syndrome Cure Found?

Sudden Infant Death Syndrome or SIDS has long been a dreaded disorder, claiming approximately 4,000 lives of newborns annually. As reported in Yahoo! Parenting, health factors causing SIDS and its accompanying prevention measures were unknown. These essential details, though, might not remain a mystery any longer.

A pediatric anesthesiologist in Seattle, Daniel Rubens, is currently hard at work in discovering the causes for SIDS. The Seattle Children's Hospital practitioner is testing the waters to see if inner ear damages influence the development of SIDS in newborn babies.

Rubens disclosed the process he and his team go through in discovering essential details in relation to SIDS to Yahoo Parenting. He said, "We are studying infants that look and seem healthy and who sleep in safe conditions. But for some reasons, these babies die in their sleep and an autopsy and investigation has determined no obvious cause of death."

Babies that have symptoms of inner ear damage suffer from the deadly carbon dioxide build-up and insufficient supply of oxygen, as hypothesized by Rubens. Rubens then theorized that newborns with SIDS have dysfuctional parts in their inner ears. These parts regulate balance and movement. Hence, these babies die while sleeping as symptoms of SIDS are triggered.

Newborns who sleep with their bellies face down are prone to experiencing breathing problems. The same Yahoo! Parenting article further elaborated that SIDS commonly occur in infants below a year old. Babies less than one year old don't have good abilities to change their sleeping positions whenever they experience breathing difficulties.

A WebMD article detailed that SIDS do occur mostly in premature and low-birth-weight newborns. These children lack the sufficient bodily hormones and stamina to combat health struggles from time to time in early ages. As a result, their bodies give in to the health ills sooner than expected. Mothers who did not get appropriate pre-natal care during pregnancy have greater tendencies to give birth to SIDS babies. Likewise, expectant mothers who smoke increase likelihood of birthing babies with SIDS, as well.

Meanwhile, a Mayo Clinic staff theorized that the following factors may have influenced the development of SIDS in their own ways:

Brain Function Irregularities: Infants whose brain functions don't regulate breathing and waking abilities normally are likely going to die from SIDS.

Respiratory Health Conditions: Severe respiratory health conditions not treated in a timely manner may aggravate the development of SIDS.

If you suspect your newborn as possibly suffering from SIDS, the following is a partial list of the things to refer to for symptoms prevention:

-Your newborn sleeping on the side or stomach

-Sleeping on top of a soft furnaced bedding

-Sleeping with mom and dad