>> >>JOANNE: The study looked at the records of 568 infant death said in the county, one
of its primary findings is infants who died of sides had multiple risk factors.
Dr.ﾊHenry Krous, pathologist at rainy children's hospital, and Kitty Rouche.
Dr.ﾊKrows, multiple risksﾊ explain why that's so important in terms of understanding
sides.
>> HENRY KROUS: Well, the babies who died of sudden infant death syndrome during this
study period rk 1991 to 2008 averaged about three and a half risk factors per baby.
I think with the past recommendations about face sleeping.
There's been a tendency to focus on one of those factors.
To avoid placing a baby on its stomach for sleep.
The importance of this study is to show that over this entire study interval, babies are
still being exposed to multiple risk factors and these are additive in the effect.
The more risk factors the higher the risk of sudden infant death syndrome.
We're recommending from this study that care takers avoid exposing babies to multiple risks
simultaneously to minimize their risk of sudden infant death syndrome.
>> >>: I wanted to ask you about some of those risks.
I heard you explaining this whole idea of the triple risk hypothesis.
When you say itsﾊ when these things come together, it's the reason why you think this
occurs.
>> HENRY KROUS: Correct.
We believe that for the vast majority of babies, only five% of them had no risk factors in
our study.
We feel that sudden infant death syndrome is the intersection simultaneously of these
three fundamental elements that are occurring in sudden infant death syndrome.
The age of development, the things that characterized the development of baby during its yeut rn
life, and then factors around a safe environment that are unsafe.
>> >>JOANNE: Let's talk about that kitty.
We know that the big recommendation is to put your baby on his or her back.
>> >>KITTY ROUCHE: Back to sleep.
>> >>JOANNE: There's a second risk.
For the common that your study found about sharing a bed, can you tell me a little more
about that?
>> >>KITTY ROUCHE: The studies indicate that is a very big risk factor.
When adults share a bed with an infant, the infants can be km over heated, there's a risk
for over lay.
What we recommend is that a baby sleep in the same room on a separate sleep surface
that's firm, covered baby only in a sleep sack or something like that, for easy access
for breast feeding, next to the mother's bed.
Bring the baby to bed to breast feed, then put the baby back in his or her own surface.
The adult beds are often too soft, they have blankets, pillows, a lot of risk in terms
of over heating the baby or potential for over lay.
>> >>JOANNE: Was your study able to i disnt fie how often sleeping, co sleepingﾊ
>> HENRY KROUS: In the early part of the stawdy, only about 20% of the babies were bed sharing.
By the end of the story, that incidents had doubled.
The incidence of tummy sleeping went down trum at clea from 85 to 30%, but at the same
time, bed sharing and baby sleeping on an adult bed rk both those factors doubled in
incidence.
Again, the importance of emphasizing of trying to avoid all of these risk factors that are
under the control of the care taker.
>> >>JOANNE: Kitty, when you go out, you meet with families, do you find in terms of co
sleeping that seems to be a fairly popular thing now.
We hear a lot about it.
Do you find that families know that this is a risk?
>> >>KITTY ROUCHE: Some do.
We actually use the term bed sharing and co sleeping meaning in the same room, room sharing.
They do know that it's a risk, but especially with a new baby, that's, you know, the biggest
risk for sides is two to four months.
But it's kup convenient to breast feed, baby maybe a family who doesn't have access to
a crib where bed sharing is a cultural thing.
Those are the reasons or they think it leads to more bonding.
>> HENRY KROUS: The younger the baby, the greater the risk of bed sharing.
We advocate breast feeding a baby, unless there's some alter cation to it.
The baby could be breast fed, but kept on a separate sleep surface afterwards.
We don't want families to think we're not supporting or recommending breast feeding.
We're very strongly advocating that.
But then have the baby sleep on a separate surface.
>> >>JOANNE: I do want to let the people at home know there's a lot more information at
California sids .com, also on our website KPBS .org.
Thank you both for being here.
>> HENRY KROUS: Thank you.