Forensic Nursing Chronicles

* SIDS is the sudden death of infants who are from 1 month to 1-year-old age. SIDS is a disease but the reason is unknown and it might be explained after performance of an autopsy, examination of the death scene.

* Most deaths from SIDS appear to the healthy infants often are between 2 and 4 months old.

A SIDS death occurs quickly and is associated with sleep. Infants suddenly turn blue, stop breathing, and become limp without crying or struggling.

* The cause of an infant death can be determined through a process of collecting information, conducting forensic tests and procedures, and taking with parents and physicians.

Health professionals use three subtypes of investigation in determining SIDS deaths are the autopsy, death scene investigation, and review of victim and family case history. Autopsy mostly finds the presence of congestion in lung, and the central nervous system demonstrates astrogliosis of brain stem and cerebellum.

SIDS is not:

– caused by vomiting, choking or infections.

– caused by tetanus vaccines or other immunization.

– contagious.

– child abuse

*More deaths are reported in the fall and winter and there is a 60-to 40- percent male-to-female ratio.

There are things that can be done to reduce the risk of SIDS.

– Parents must get medical care early in pregnancy within the first three months. Use good nutrition.

– Parents do not smoke nor use cocaine because tobacco or cocaine using during pregnancy increases the infant’s risk for SIDS.

– To prevent becoming pregnant during the teenage years. Researchers believe the SIDS rate is increased for babies born by teenage mothers.

– Parents must wait at least one year between the birth of a child and the next pregnancy.

– Parents place infants to sleep on their backs in a baby cribs with a firm mattress (not on a soft surface)

– Overheating or over-clothes the infant while he/she sleeps may increase the risk for SIDS.

– Breast milk decrease the respiratory and gastrointestinal infections which may decrease
the risk for SIDS.

* This is the worse tragedy parents can face. A tragedy, which leaves them with sadness and a feeling of vulnerability, that lasts throughout their lives.

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SIDS

Tags: Forensic Nursing Chronicles, SIDS

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