Babies require a lot of attention in order to stay alive, but when they’re all wrapped
up in a nice cozy blanket, they could be in a lot of danger.
Hello all you nurturing parents out there, Catie Wayne here for DNews.
Infants are adorable.
I don’t know that there are many people who could in all honesty disagree.
But something else that we all agree on is that they are a huge responsibility.
Keeping another human alive is no cake walk.
In fact, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention approximately 4,000
infants die suddenly and unexpectedly.
This is often attributed to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, or SIDS.
SIDS is defined as a sudden death in an infant under one year old, that cannot be explained
after a thorough investigation is conducted.
A thorough investigation includes an autopsy, an examination of the death scene and a review
of the infant’s medical history.
This is obviously a very scary thought for expecting and new parents.
That your baby could just, die for no apparent reason.
But according to a recent study conducted by the National Institute for Child Health
and Human Development, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, among other
institutions, nearly 50 percent of American infants sleep with unsafe bedding that can
increase the risk of SIDS.
Unsafe bedding, by the way includes loose blankets, toys in the crib, pillows, quilts--
you get the idea.
These objects increase the risk of SIDS and accidental suffocation.
The recommend way to put a baby to sleep, according to the NICHD, is to place the baby
on its back, on a firm, safety approved mattress with a fitted sheet.
And that, is IT.
No extra bedding, no unmonitored swaddling, no baby toys, Nothing on top of OR under the
baby, a detail that the researchers report escapes many new parents.
To keep the baby warm, you can dress them in layers so you can remove or add clothing
as needed.
Keep the room at a comfortable temperature, and in winter if the baby is not yet crawling
you could use a space heater.
There are also these adorable baby sacks; they’re like sleeveless dresses, with the
bottom sewed closed so it mimics the sensation of being swaddled or a blanket, but doesn’t
pose a risk of suffocation.
And they’re loose around the hips so there’s no risk of inhibiting hip development (something
that swaddling can do).
But you do need to think about overheating, because contrary to popular belief, babies
don’t need any more warming than adults.
Now to be fair, the researchers also believe that new parents are given a lot of mixed
information.
Many magazines aimed at women of childbearing age contain images of infants with lots of
cozy blankets and pillows.
This could easily reinforce the impression that obeying your desire to keep your baby
cozy and warm with blankets is not only normal, it’s the best way to go about things.
Unfortunately, that is not the case.
But fortunately, now you know.
Thanks for joining me for DNews guys, be sure to share this video with people you know who
have their newborns sleep with bedding so they can be informed.
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I’ll see you next time.