Cradlekeepers:
Reducing the Risk of SIDS at Home and in Out-of-Home Care.
What
Do I Need to Know?
Sudden
Infant Death Syndrome. The words are frightening to everyone, not
only to parents of young children, but also to child care providers
caring for children under the age of 1 year. Wisconsin's legislature
and the Bureau of Regulations and Licensing have taken the first steps
needed to make all regulated providers aware of the risk factors associated
with SIDS deaths. This bill requires all licensed group and family
care providers, substitute caregivers, and volunteers to receive training
on the most current medically accepted methods of SIDS risk reduction
techniques. The bill was written into law in August 2001, and is an
effort to increase providers' knowledge of SIDS information and techniques,
and may well save lives of some of the youngest in our care. Current
licensed providers are required to be trained in these techniques
by May 1, 2002, while new providers must be trained before beginning
work in a child care facility.For training dates and times, please
contact your local Resource and Referral agency or WCCIP at the number
listed below.
First,
by its very nature, SIDS is unexpected (the cause of SIDS remains
a mystery) and therefore unpreventable.No matter how diligent and
how educated providers and parents are, sadly, some infants will continue
to die of SIDS. Secondly, armed with the latest information and risk
reduction techniques, parents and providers may significantly reduce
the incidence of SIDS in this country.The information provided here
is not intended to replace the training required by the state,
but is a useful summary of information for everyone in contact with
young children.
SIDS
Risk Reduction Techniques:
Put
babies to sleep on their backs. Babies put to sleep on their stomachs
or on their sides have an increased risk of SIDS.
When
babies are awake, give them ample, supervised "tummy time".This
helps infants increase the muscles in the arms, neck, and back which
is important to their healthy development.
Use
a firm mattress in the infants' crib, with no soft toys or
bedding available. The use of crib "bumpers"are also
discouraged by most infant care experts. If needed, use a thin
blanket or sheet for warmth, tucked in carefully at the end of the
mattress. Be diligent in your efforts to keep the infants' airway
unobstructed at all times.
Dress
the infant comfortably for sleeping and check the room temperature.
Do not let the room become overheated or conversely, too cold.
Do
not place your infant to sleep in your bed. Adult bedding material
can be dangerous to young infants. Some families favor parent-infant
co-sleeping, and although discouraged by many infant care experts
due to the risk factors, it is recommended that parents talk to their
family doctor before engaging in this practice.
Do
not allow smoking in your home or where young children are cared for.
Studies show that children exposed to smoke are at a higher risk for
SIDS.
Communicate,
communicate, communicate. Parents and providers must talk with
one another about infant development and issues specific to each child.
Though
SIDS is a terrifying issue for each person connected to the care of
infants, everyone can play a part in significantly reducing the risk
of SIDS for children under one year of age, by following the most
current medically accepted procedures for SIDS Risk Reduction. By
keeping yourself educated about SIDS, by sharing your knowledge with
others and by practicing what you are learning, you can take heart
knowing you are doing everything in your power to keep infants safe
so that you can enjoy the marvelous and awe-inspiring development
of the infants and children you care for.
For
more information on infant care and SIDS Risk Reduction techniques,
please contact:
The
American Academy of Pediatrics
1-847-434-4000 or www.aap.org
Back-To-Sleep
1-800-505-CRIB
or www.aap.org/new/sids/reduceth.html
National SIDS Resource Center
703-821-8955
or www.sidscenter.org
Infant Death Program Support Center
1-414-266-2746
or www.sids-id-psc.org
Wisconsin Child Care Improvement Project InfoLine
1-800-366-3556
or www.wccip.org
