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Care
Safe Sleep
By William Sears, M.D., Babytalk
Why some parents are putting their babies to bed on their bellies -- and increasing their risk for SIDS - Parenting.com
STEP 1: GIVE YOUR BABY A HEALTHY WOMBTwo of the highest risk factors for SIDS are prematurity and low birth weight. A three-pound baby, for example, is 10 times more likely to succumb to SIDS than a nine-pound baby. Why? Researchers speculate that these tiny infants have immature breathing-control centers, which may diminish their ability to rouse from a deep sleep should they stop breathing for some reason. Though these two situations aren't always avoidable, you can fend them off by giving your pregnant body a healthy dose of TLC.
Get good prenatal care. Being monitored by a doctor or a midwife throughout your pregnancy may help you catch problems before they start. If you lack private health insurance, many states provide special prenatal care programs for little or no fee. Call your local or state health department for more information on available programs.
Eat well and often. Now is not the time to skimp on your three squares a day. Good nutrition lowers the risk of prematurity and therefore Baby's SIDS risk later in life.
Keep your baby's environment smoke-free and drug-free. Taking illegal drugs and smoking while pregnant increases the risk of SIDS in two ways: These dangerous habits can not only increase the chances of prematurity, but also harm the development of that all-important breathing-control center in Baby's brain. Case in point: Babies born to mothers who abuse drugs are 5 to 20 times more likely to die of SIDS, in addition to having a higher risk of developmental problems.
And it's not much better for moms who smoke during pregnancy and their baby's infancy. A large study conducted by the Centers for Disease Control found that babies exposed to smoke both before and after birth were three times as likely to die from SIDS. And the more cigarettes you smoke, the less oxygen Baby gets and the higher her risk. For example, if you smoke more than 20 cigarettes a day, Baby's risk jumps five-fold. The bottom line: If you smoke, it's crucial that you try to quit. To find a smoking cessation program near you, contact the American Lung Association at www.lungusa.org. You can also contact the American Cancer Society at www.cancer.org for pamphlets, brochures, and audiotapes on how to stop.
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