September is National Infant Mortality Awareness Month . Prevention is key - starting with regular prenatal care to help with a healthy beginning to life.
After birth, SIDS ( Sudden Infant Death Syndrome ) is the leading cause of mortality. Knowing ways to prevent SIDS is important to ensure we are keeping your baby safe.
We also want to make sure infants are kept safe on the go. Proper use of car seats is the final piece of the safety puzzle!
Why is prenatal health important?
One of the biggest drivers of infant morbidity and mortality is prematurity. Prematurity is defined as the birth of an infant prior to 37 weeks of gestation.
Babies born prematurely are at higher risk for long term health issues including developmental delays, breathing problems, and feeding difficulties.
Regular prenatal care with your OB/Gyn will include screens and labs to ensure you are having a healthy pregnancy and will help to keep both you and your baby safe.
What is SIDS, and how can I decrease the risk?
SIDS is the unexpected death of an infant that cannot be explained following a thorough investigation. This is the leading cause of death for infants 1 month to 1 year of life and most of these cases occur within the first 6 months of life.
Unfortunately, sometimes this can happen even if you are doing everything right for your baby. There are, however, two things you can do to help decrease your baby's risk.
The first thing is to stop smoking and to keep your baby away from any other secondhand smoke exposure from relatives and friends. Smoking cessation is strongly encouraged during pregnancy, as nicotine exposure while pregnant can cause issues such as premature birth, birth defects, and can impact the placenta (the organ that is your baby's lifeline while you are pregnant).
After birth, smoke exposure can be detrimental to a newborn. Infants exposed to secondhand smoke are at much higher risk for SIDS. The chemicals in secondhand smoke are thought to affect the newborn's brain in ways that can interfere with the ability to regulate breathing.
One of the best things you can do for you, your baby, and your loved ones' health is to stop smoking. If you are struggling to quit smoking, please go to tobaccofreeflorida.com for resources and support.
Next, an appropriate sleep environment is imperative to preventing SIDS. Sharing a room with your baby - having the bassinet next to your bed - is protective. However, sharing a bed can be dangerous.
When you fall asleep, you could move around in the bed and create a potentially hazardous environment to your infant. Infants should be in their own sleep environment. The safest way for them to sleep is flat on their back on a firm surface. The problem with placing them on their side is that it can make it easier for them to roll onto their stomach where they might not be able to regulate their breathing.
The sleep environment should be "boring" - no extra stuffed animals, pillows, or loose bedding. These can all pose a suffocation risk and potentially lead to SIDS.
Why is car seat safety important?
Car seat safety is important for when you are inevitably on the go - to doctor's appointments, playdates, and events. Every year thousands of children are killed in car accidents. Properly using a car seat is your job as a parent to keep your child safe.
Car seats are not all the same, so always consult the manual to ensure proper and safe installation. However, there are some tips and tricks that are universal.
- All infants and toddlers should ride in a rear facing car seat as long as possible, until they reach the highest weight or height recommended by the manufacturer. After they have outgrown the rear facing limit, they should remain in the car seat forward facing with a harness for as long as possible.
- A common concern parents have is if they should change the car seat to forward facing sooner if the child's feet touch the back of the seat vehicle. This should not cause worry as children are quite flexible and leg injuries while rear facing are quite rare.
- Another thing to avoid is any bulky clothing (which is not common this time of year in Florida) because we want to make sure those straps are snuggly against your baby's chest. Loose straps can increase the risk of injury.
- For long car trips, try to take frequent breaks- about every 2 hours. The prolonged seated position can cause some airflow restriction and potentially impact your baby's breathing.
For further evidence based information on safe sleep and car seats, I encourage you to view the resources on healthychildren.org .
Dr. Shannen McGinley-Vallee is a board certified pediatrician with Pediatrics in Brevard. Visit pedsinbrevard.com .
This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Pediatrics in Brevard: September is National Infant Mortality Awareness month
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