1. Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) By: Alex Boreen, Brittany Drees, and Jennifer Klein

2. What is SIDS? SIDS is when a baby suddenly and unexpectedly dies without any other medical explanations. This usually happens while the baby is asleep.

3. General Information SIDS facts… Number one cause of infants There is usually nothing wrong with the baby While baby sleeps Cannot be determined right after death SIDS myths… Preventable Suffocation Caused by vomiting or choking Caused by vaccines or immunizations Contagious SIDS is child abuse or neglect

4. Frequency of SIDS Race Number (Per 100,000) All populations 52.9 White 50.5 Black 108.8 American Indian 124.0 Asian American 27.7 Hispanic 25.6

5. THERE IS NO KNOWN CAUSE OF SIDS

6. Possible contributors to SIDS Sleep position Smoking after pregnancy and/or during Infant bedding is too soft. Overheating Maternal factors can cause risks

7. Reducing the risk of SIDS Baby should be on their back while sleeping Bedding should be limited (hard) No smoking Be cautious of babies amount of blankets Parents should offer pacifiers during nap and bed time

8. Determining SIDS 1.Investigation- emotionally hard on the family 2.Autopsy- Looks at the child’s body to examine the body organs and tissues 3.Look at family’s medical history- A very detailed examination takes place after SIDS to determine medical history.

9. Political Issues Searching the house There are assumptions when searching the house that imply that the parents did something wrong or mistreated their child. Autopsy of the baby is a must, however parents may not agree with it

10. What happens after a child dies of SIDS? Pain, grief, and agony of the lost child Social support may not always be there The death of a child causes many strains on the relationship of the parents. Parents become depressed and withdrawal from their activities

11. What happens after a child dies of SIDS Parents take comments more hurtful Society is not informed about SIDS, therefore many people believe that foul play is involved or is a factor in SIDS, which is hard on the family.

12. Back To Sleep Campaign - This campaign focuses on influencing parents, caregivers and hospital staff to have their baby sleep on their backs.

13. Summary Again, there is no known cause of SIDS Baby is best to sleep on their backs Grief is a huge part of the mourning process after a child dies SIDS is only determined after all other medical explanations have been ruled out

14. Works Cited Krueger, Guenther. Nursing Inquiry, Sep2006, Vol. 13 Issue 3, p163-171, 9p; DOI: 10.1111/j.1440-1800.2006.00318.x; (AN 21887303) National SIDS/Infant Death Resource Center (NSIDRC), "What is SIDS." Health Resources and Services Administration 2005 1-10. 18 Nov 2008. Olendorf, Donna. The Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine. Vol. 4 "Sudden Infant Death Syndrome". Gale Research, 1999. "Safe Sleep for Your Baby Around the Clock Birth to 12 Months". National SIDS/infant Death Resource Center. 11/11/08. "Sudden Infant Death Syndrome". Centers of Disease Control and Prevention. 11/11/08.