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The gift of a new life entering our world is one of the most precious blessings any person will ever experience. The only goal for a new parent is to keep their newborn safe and sound so they can grow up and enjoy a long, healthy life. Very unfortunately, sometimes that does not happen and the child’s lift is tragically cut short. SIDS, standing for sudden infant death syndrome is an incredibly horrific affliction that takes the lives of countless infants every year. Little is understood about this tragic happening, but doctors and medical professionals have been working around the clock to invent new technologies to aid as well as prevent this unfortunate occurrence.

A SIDS monitor is one of the most important purchases you will ever make when it comes to protecting your child’s safety. The product is attached to the side of your baby’s diaper and stays with the infant throughout the night. While you and your baby sleep, the SIDS monitor will keep track of the infant’s movements and take action if something irregular occurs. For example, if the child doesn’t move after 15 seconds, a vibration will occur to wake the baby up and get everything back to normal. If after 20 seconds there is no movement in your precious infant, a much louder signal will alert whoever the child’s caretaker is. This truly is a priceless item to have in your home if you’re worried for your infant’s health as he sleeps.

For ultimate sensitivity, resulting in added protection, the sensor is attached to a very flexible tip made of rubber which is then placed directly on top of the infant’s stomach. The product is battery powered which means there are no potentially harmful cords or cables which might entangle your child as he or she sleeps at night. To work properly and effectively, the rubber point must always be in direct contact with the infant’s stomach as this is how it properly monitors their movements throughout the night. If the tip should lose contact with the tummy and become unhooked from the diaper, an alarm will sound, alerting the caretaker or parent that they need to reattach the tip properly for maximum protection.

This is one of the trusted brands of SIDS monitors on the market due to its reliability. The package comes included with one SIDS monitor, an instructional movie in DVD form which explains how to use the monitor properly, as well as explaining general health care and first aid instructions. In addition to these bonuses, the package also comes with a battery with a life expectancy of 1 full year, as well as a fashionable and durable travel slip case for the monitor itself. A very great value for a reliable price as it delivers an amazing service to you and your family.

It’s not possible for a parent of a new infant to watch their child all the time. As much as you would like to be there for your baby at every moment of each day, it is simple impossible. Fortunately there are products like the SIDS monitor to aid you in watching your child, which is one of the best ways to keep an eye on their general well being while they’re out of your reach. Do yourself and your child a favor and look into a SIDS monitor.

Although a single direct cause related to SIDS has yet to be pinned down, there are still many popular theories that describe the necessary precautions newborn parents should take in order to keep their child safe at night as they sleep. While these aren’t guaranteed methods to prevent your child from succumbing to SIDS, they are certainly well researched and thought out ideas that are supported by many scientists, parents and researches of the subject. Taking any precaution you can to keep your infant safe is something any new parent would be happy to do. Below I have listed the most common prevention methods that are believed to be the best ways to prevent your child from becoming an unfortunate victim of SIDS.

Make sure your baby falls asleep on his back.

Above all, this is considered to be the most important method you can take in order to shield your child from the dangers of SIDS. After launching a campaign to make parents aware that infants who fall asleep on their side or stomach are at much greater risk of SIDS than those who sleep on their backs, the death rate of SIDS was lowered almost 50% since 1994. It is incredibly important that any person who cares for your children, including sitters, grandparents, etc. knows that they absolutely cannot let your infant go to sleep on his stomach. This is a very serious matter and the rate of death being cut in half by simply prohibiting your infant from sleeping on its stomach is enough proof of that. You must also make sure that your infant doesn’t get put to sleep on his side either because this makes it very easy for them to roll over in the middle of the night onto their stomach.

As your infant begins to age into the 5-6 months old area, it is very likely that he’ll be strong enough to roll over in whatever direction he feels like, increasing the risk of SIDS. Despite the SIDS risk lowering as the children get older, a 6 month old is still vulnerable and not totally out of the clear. There are special SIDS products that help secure your child onto his back at night in order to prevent SIDS from happening, It is important to keep in mind that always placing your child on their back can cause problems and lead them to developing a misshapen head.

Stay very healthy during your pregnancy.

One of the most important factors in preventing and occurrence of SIDS is making sure to take excellent care of your body.  It is an absolute must that you take adequate prenatal care in order for your baby to be born as healthy as possible.  Doing drugs and drinking alcohol while pregnant puts your child at extreme risk for premature birth as well as a very low weight when it born, which is very important because both of these problems make an occurrence of SIDS that much greater.

Never allows smoking around your infant.

It is very important that secondhand smoke never reach your baby’s lungs.  This means that you never put your infant in a situation where he may come in contact with other smokers.  Your child should never be put in a situation to prevent harmful cigarette smoke.  If you yourself are a cigarette smoker you need to make sure that you do not smoke around your child and if you do not want your child to be around your smoke you should look into quitting.

Ensuring the right bedding is in your child’s crib.

This is one of the most important factors which potentially play into your child becoming a victim of SIDS.  It is advised that you put your child to bed on a flat surface, firm enough to withstand the infant’s weight, without a pillow and only a single sheet resting under his body.  There should never be any extra objects resting alongside your sleeping infant.  This includes extra pillows, extra blankets, his favorite toys, or any other random objects which might cause problems in the night.

Some experts in the field subscribe to the theory that you shouldn’t bother covering up your baby with any blanket whatsoever.  If you can’t bring yourself to put your child to sleep without a blanket to cover his body, it is advisable to use as thin a blanket as you can find.

Avoid making your infant overheat.

Parents need to make sure not to over dress their child as this might lead to overheating during the night.  Not only should you monitor the amount of close and blankets he sleeps with that night, you should also play astute attention to the temperature of the room his crib is resting in.  As a general rule of thumb, or the room should allow a fully grown adult to be comfortable temperature wise.

If you are with a parent to a newborn child, you need to look out for signs that your child is overheating.  These telltale signs include sweating, a rash on the head irregular breathing patterns including rapid movement, signs of restlessness, dampness in the hair, and of course a fever.

Make sure your baby’s room is properly ventilated.

Yet another important factor is to always make sure that they’re inside your infant’s bedroom is as fresh as possible.  This is to ensure that your child does not breathe in the air he is already exhaled.  It is for this reason that many parents put their child to bed with a running fan on as they sleep.  Studies have concluded that this practice can cut down and reduce their risk of SIDS by over 70%.

In addition to keeping a fan running on during your child’s sleeping patterns, it is also useful to crack a window and get a fresh flow of air running between the outside and inside of the room.

For more understanding on the subject of SIDS there’ve been many books that have been written by experts in the field as well as parents who have been tragically of affected by this far too common affliction. Some of the selections are listed below along with a brief summary describing the book itself.

Sudden Infant Death Syndrome: Learning From Stories About SIDS, Motherhood & Loss

A firsthand tale about the horror of the child succumbing to SIDS, this incredibly genuine personal account of the mother dealing with the grief of her child dying to one of the most tragic threats to a children’s health. This book deals with the grief and a deep sadness that any parent would feel after losing a child to SIDS. This book can and should be read by anyone who has dealt with the unfortunate experience of losing a child in this way as its truthful and honest look at SIDS can help anyone affected by it.

A Journey To Healing: Life After SIDS

This book is a first person account of one mother’s unfortunate journey into of helplessness as she discovered that her child had become yet another unfortunate victim of the tragic affliction known as SIDS. This book deal specifically with the guilt that the mother of the SIDS victim would feel when faced with such a horrific occurrence. Fortunately for this mother in question, she found the strength to forgive herself and began her healing process due to her faith in God.

Sudden Infant Death: Enduring The Loss

This is yet another incredibly well written book on the subject of SIDS. Reviews of this book have stated that it helped them get through the grieving and guilt process after losing a child to SIDS. Anyone who has gone through this unfortunate and horrific process should consider looking into this book to help them get over the death.

Crib Death: The Sudden Infant Death Syndrome

Crib death is an incredibly detailed book which provides very helpful information on SIDS. Reviews of this book have stated that it is the finest book available on the subject. The book contains over 1500 references as well as many quotations which provide the most useful information one can find on the subject.

Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (Diseases & Disorders)

This book is also very helpful on the subject of SIDS as it contains lots of information which might be helpful to anyone studying the problem of SIDS.

SIDS & Infant Death Survival Guide: Information & Comfort For Grieving Family & Friends & For Professionals Who Seek To Help Them

This book was written by the mother of a child who succumbed to sudden infant death syndrome, with assistance from a parenting issues speaker. The book also consists of many poems, diary entries as well as essays which were penned by the parents, grandparents, siblings, family friends, family counselors, as well as babysitters. These expressions deal specifically with how SIDS has affected their lives and are very touching when read. Any person or family who has been affected by this syndrome is highly recommended to read this book in order to help themselves move on and begin their life again.

Standing for Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, SIDS is the frightening and abrupt death of seemingly healthy children under one year old. As SIDS isn’t one single illness or disease, the death of an infant can ONLY be diagnosed as SIDS after every other option has been ruled out. As the occurrence strikes without any prior warning or notice, this disorder is particularly devastating for families.

It is leading cause of death in children in the United States between 2 weeks and 1 year of age. There are approximately 3,000 SIDS deaths per year, occurring between 2 and 4 months old, while 90% of all SIDS deaths occur within the first 6 months of age.

As most occurrences happen during sleep, usually between the hours of 10 P.M. and 10 A.M., the affliction is commonly referred to as “crib death.” It occurs most frequently during months with cold weather and is affected by irregular crib bedding.

While most deaths do occur during night time, it is vastly important to understand that SIDS can strike during daytime as well. According to a 2000 study by the journal Pediatrics, approximately 20% of SIDS deaths happen while the infant is in childcare settings.

Considering that babies spend much less time sleeping in a daycare than they do at home, this is a very high number. This painful statistic drives home the importance of making sure your child’s daycare providers are properly educated on following safe sleeping guidelines.

Although a single cause has yet to be established, researchers have discovered certain factors which can decrease the risk of SIDS. As further research is conducted, more information will be discovered and prevention methods will increase.