How do you keep from worrying excessively about SIDS?

[escher]

I'm a bit of a worrier in general in life, but I'm not more worried in general these days (I don't think I have postpartum depression or anxiety). But the possibility of SIDS is freaking me out. The idea that a healthy baby could suddenly just stop breathing is terrifying in general, and knowing that my son is in the prime risk age range just makes me scared. We're doing the things we know to do to decrease his risk (he sleeps on his back in our room, we keep the room cool and have a fan going, etc.), but I know that doesn't eliminate the possibility. What do you do to keep from worrying excessively about SIDS? Any suggestions here?

Thank you!

[annie2186]

I used to worry about SIDS obsessively (ok I don't know if it was obsessive, but it really freaked me out to the point of waking a sleeping babe sometimes )

*Disclaimer - these are obviously just my feelings, findings, and research*

Personally, finding out that it is sooooooo intertwined with Vaccinations helped ease my mind quite a bit. With this last baby, I didn't really worry at all now that I think about it. 

I also put all of my babies on their back (gasp! my mom did it with six kids) and sometimes had the room a little hotter than I should. (It was summer with the last one, and the air conditioner didn't work well up there).

SIDS rose with the rise in vaccinations. It used to be kids got 10 by age 5 or 6, now they get 40! 

This website is what helped me put it all together:

www.thinktwice.com 

and more particularly the "personal stories" 

http://thinktwice.com/stories.htm

Most all of these poor parents noticed a horrible reaction and or death after vaccinations. Almost all of them had the *SIDS* diagnosis 

So, if you do plan on vaxxing, you might want to check into a alternate schedule and/or just go with your instincts! If you feel like your child has a bad reaction, don't do it again. Or at least not that particular shot.

[MrsGregory]

I haven't stopped worrying, about SIDS or any number of other (highly unlikely) things.  I check her almost obsessively when she sleeps without me.  It doesn't help that she is still hit or miss with her co-sleeper, but she'll sleep on the bed by herself, so... sometimes I leave her there.  I put her on her back, and wedge a rolled blanket around her to prevent her from rolling onto her tummy.  Then I check on her and I have sometimes woke her up to be sure.  Yeeeeeah.

I am sorry this isn't actually advice on how to stop worrying.  I do what I find reasonable in my quest to keep her alive and safe;  I put her to bed on her back.  I breastfeed.  I keep her face clear of fluffy crap.  I don't over-wrap her.  I will be AWESOME when she starts crossing the street by herself to go to school.  In college.  :-D

[Megan73]

I wish I had some magic answer for you but l really understand how you feel. We lost our first baby at full term and when our son was born healthy I was really worried about SIDS. All we could do was do our best to avoid the known risk factors - smoking, stomach sleeping - and keep him close.
It sounds like you're already doing the things that reduce the risk - exclusively breastfeed for six months, have baby sleep on their back (until they can roll over themselves) in a crib with nothing else in it in the parents' cool room and not let anyone smoke nearby.
We are co-sleeping with DS2 and I'm convinced that it's safe for parents who aren't drunk or using drugs and are sleeping on a firm surface without too much bedding.
I'm not going to get into a vaccine debate but you might also want to read this: http://www.cdc.gov/vaccinesafety/Concerns/sids_faq.html
Edited by Megan73 - 1/19/12 at 9:09am

[twinpossible]

Originally Posted by annie2186 

Personally, finding out that it is sooooooo intertwined with Vaccinations helped ease my mind quite a bit.

This website is what helped me put it all together:

www.thinktwice.com 

and more particularly the "personal stories" 

http://thinktwice.com/stories.htm

Most all of these poor parents noticed a horrible reaction and or death after vaccinations. Almost all of them had the *SIDS* diagnosis 

So, if you do plan on vaxxing, you might want to check into a alternate schedule and/or just go with your instincts! If you feel like your child has a bad reaction, don't do it again. Or at least not that particular shot.

Couldn't have said it better myself!

To keep from going crazy with worry about SIDS I chose not to vaccinate at all until the age of 1(that is when the risk of SIDS goes away), spend that time doing research and make a choice at that point. I also have the girls sleeping in our room until the age of 1, swaddled, on their backs, cool room, air purifier / fan...etc. Yes, I still wake them up every once in a while just to make sure they are okay but honestly, once I found the link between SIDS and vax my nerves calmed. Deep breath momma, you are doing the best you can :)
 

[LiLStar]

Like any mom, I of course have a little bit of paranoia and occasionally wake just to place a hand on my baby to make sure he's breathing. I'm pretty calm about it overall, though. I know that he is protected by breastfeeding and avoiding cigarette smoke. He's big and strong and healthy and that gives the perception at least (whether or not its true) of being more "sturdy" and less at risk. I also know that sleeping next to me, close to my heartbeat, feeling my breath on his face, is also protective. I dress him in 1 layer of cotton, never fleece at night, because our bedroom can get warm at night. Often just a onesie. He does sleep on his tummy/side. Almost never on his back. And I feel confident that, well, he *wants* to breathe.  He has demonstrated a good ability to lift his head up and turn it to the side if its smushed into the mattress. I've laid him down asleep, face down, and just watched. After several seconds, he lifts his head and turns it to the side while taking a nice big breath. He wants to breathe. I actually read something where they observed babies sleeping face down. They created a surface that has a small cut out in the mattress below where their nose/mouth would go. It would cause the babies (if they didn't turn their head) to rebreathe air. They monitored their blood oxygen level. Babies who never sleep on their tummy were more likely to stay put while their blood oxygen level dropped below normal range. Babies who, at least on occasion, have slept on their tummies were more likely to turn their head for fresh air. It was hypothesized that occasional "practice" tummy sleeping may be protective from sids, compared to babies who have never slept on their tummy before but might find themselves face down after rolling, for example. 

[Devaskyla]

This research has been known of for years, but somehow it never gets talked about. http://www.midwiferytoday.com/articles/bedding.asp

[DoubleDouble]

Yeah, I remember reading about this years ago and thinking "Wow, a solution!" I wonder why we don't hear more about it.

From the article in the previous post:

"A: There used to be virtually no crib deaths in Japan. Japanese traditionally used untreated cotton futons for babies. Recently, Japan has started to adopt Western baby care practices, mattresses, etc., and the crib death rate has begun to rise. SIDS is practically non-existent in Russia, as well. There, it is common place to cover the mattress with rubber sheeting. This rubber is gas impermeable, inhibits fungal growth and is free of phosphorus, arsenic and antimony."

Here is another article:

Toxic Gases in Baby Crib Mattresses

"Prior to the commencement of mattress-wrapping, New Zealand had the highest crib death rate in the world (2.1 deaths per 1000 live births). Following the adoption of mattress-wrapping by many parents in New Zealand, the New Zealand crib death rate has fallen by 70%, and the Pakeha (non-Maori) crib death rate has fallen by an estimated 85% (NZMH). Pakeha parents have adopted mattress-wrapping with enthusiasm. "These reductions cannot be attributed to orthodox cot death prevention advice," said Dr Sprott. "There has been no material change in that advice since 1992. The only significant change in cot death prevention advice, which has occurred since 1994, is the nationwide dissemination of my recommendations to wrap babies' mattresses." '

[Adaline'sMama]

The OP asked how to keep from worrying. I know there are lots of ideas about how to decrease the risks, what causes is, ect, but the main problem here is that the OP is worrying about it.

Worrying is part of being a new parent, but you can't let it consume your thoughts so you have to figure out a way to let it go every day. It's hard, I worried about it a lot when DD was little and Im sure Ill worry about it again. I'll wake several times a night and place my hand on his belly just to make sure, I can assure you of that. You said that your son is in the prime risk age- Im not sure when is birthday is, but even if he wasnt born until October 31st, 2011, then you only have a month to go in the prime risk age group. Prime risk is age 2-4 months, so one down, one to go- right? You can tell yourself that you've gotten through half of it. You only have so much control over life, and you've done everything you can to decrease risks so all you can do is have hope and be confident that you've done your best every night. That being said, if you really feel like you cant stop worrying, I have a friend who used one of those Angle Baby monitors under the sheet of their co sleeper and she said it was super sensitive and went off at least once a night, which made her feel better even if it was kind of like an alarm that woke her up reminded her to check on him. (he was nursing, but only once- dad bottle fed the other feedings).

You'll get through this, and then there will be something else to worry about. For a while, I was terrified that DD would find something, anything on the floor and choke on it silently while my back was turned for two minutes. As parents, we have to find ways to deal with the worry that there is a chance that something could happen. It's hard.

[Love]

I have an anxiety panic disorder and sids scares me too. This is what i bought to relieve the worry:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002ZB82CU/ref=pd_lpo_k2_dp_sr_2?pf_rd_p=486539851&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B0014KUGNQ&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=0T8RJFCKVKH5KWY1GKQG

It has amazing reviews and gives me a piece of mind i have faith in it... Its good stuff.


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[Delilah83]

Quote:

ell, he *wants* to breathe.  He has demonstrated a good ability to lift his head up and turn it to the side if its smushed into the mattress. I've laid him down asleep, face down, and just watched. After several seconds, he lifts his head and turns it to the side while taking a nice big breath. He wants to breathe

so by that logic, babies who die of SIDS just don't want to breathe?

[Kindermama]

Originally Posted by annie2186 

I used to worry about SIDS obsessively (ok I don't know if it was obsessive, but it really freaked me out to the point of waking a sleeping babe sometimes )

*Disclaimer - these are obviously just my feelings, findings, and research*

Personally, finding out that it is sooooooo intertwined with Vaccinations helped ease my mind quite a bit. 

I agree!