New Study - Fans Reduce Sudden Infant Death Risk by 72%

SIDS, or Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, is one of the most horrible and heartbreaking losses a family can endure. Striking an otherwise healthy baby of between 1 month and one year old, SIDS is the diagnosis given when a child of this age dies suddenly and an exact cause can't be found even after a full medical and legal investigation. And while amazing strides have been made in cutting the risk of SIDS, about 2,500 infants continue to die suddenly in the United States each year.

For these parents it is the worst kind of pain... a living nightmare you don't wish on your worst enemy. It hurts every minute of every day of the rest of your life.

These parents can take some small comfort knowing that investigations into exactly what causes SIDS are moving forward. There is a lot of good work being done. Many experts are coming to believe the condition involves an underlying abnormality (like a brain defect that affects breathing) combined with sleeping in an unsafe position or being exposed to an environmental challenge during a key period of growth.

Other things we do know:

- SIDS is most common in babies 2 to 4 months old.
- 90% of SIDS cases happen in babies less than 6 months old.
- 20% of SIDS deaths happen in childcare settings.
- SIDS is more common in cold weather.
- SIDS happens more often during sleep, between the hours of 10:00 pm and 10:00 am

Researchers in California at the Kaiser Permanente Division of Research found that babies who slept in a room with a fan running had a 72% lower risk of SIDS compared to those who slept without a fan. Opening a window, another way to circulate the air in the sleeping space, brought the risk of SIDS down 36%. The study appears in the October issue of the Archives of Pediatric & Adolescent Medicine and is the first to look for an association between better air circulation and reduced risk of SIDS.

Financed by the National Institutes of Health, this research involved data on 185 babies who died of SIDS from 1997 to 2000 in ten Northern California counties as well as Los Angeles County. The SIDS babies were compared to 312 infants who were a match in age, socio economic status and ethnic backgrounds in those same counties.

Dr. De-Kun Li, study senior author said, "The baby's sleeping environment really matters. This seems to suggest that by improving room ventilation we can further reduce risk."

The researchers noted that using a fan reduced the risk of SIDS most for babies in poor sleeping environments. Of course using a fan doesn't mean you should stop doing all the other very easy, sensible things the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends to prevent SIDS.

- Babies should always sleep on their backs.
- Firm mattresses should be the only sleeping surface - no waterbeds or air mattresses either.
- No thick quilts or comforters - being overheated during sleep puts your baby at risk.
- Pillows and stuffed toys should not be in the bed with babies.
- A dedicated sleeping space that's free of drafts and is of a comfortable, steady temperature.
- Don't smoke (or let anyone else smoke) around your baby.

More work is needed, but because the idea of circulating the air in a baby's room is in line with some Sudden Infant Death Syndrome theories, it's certainly worth a try. Fans are affordable, and offer another benefit, the sound offers a soothing setting for a baby to sleep, blocking out much of the other routine noise of the house. Good for you, perhaps life saving for your baby.




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