Facts on SIDS

The facts on SIDS - Sudden Infant Death Syndrome - and also known as Crib Death can be difficult to understand. It is a very sensitive and confusing issue. We found that most of the top searches of SIDS bring up essentially the same information.

Facts on SIDS: What is SIDS?

Figuring out exactly what SIDS is - and is not - can be frustrating. All the internet sites, books or articles - as part of SIDS awareness - will tell you on one hand what causes SIDS and how to prevent it...

...then they will tell you that SIDS is not caused by anything and is not preventable.

Kind of sending mixed messages, don't you think?

So first, lest look at the actual definition of SIDS:

So basically, SIDS is a diagnosis of exclusion - which means it's SIDS when all other alternatives have been excluded.

Facts on SIDS: Most Common Characteristics

Facts on SIDS: SIDS Risks

Remember, the definition of SIDS is an unexplained death. If there was a cause - then it would not be unexplained. According to the SIDS Network:

The last part of the sentence makes a whole lot of sense, because SIDS is unpredictable, right?

So, it seems the health of your pregnancy and therefore the health of your unborn baby is a factor...Nutrition again. Under such circumstances, wouldn't you agree that a natural pregnancy makes even more sense?

The SIDS Network states that maternal risk factors include:

Cigarette smoking during pregnancy,

Maternal age less than 20 years,

Poor prenatal care,

Low weight gain,

Anemia,

Use of illegal drugs,

History of sexually transmitted disease or urinary tract infection - bladder infection.

They concluded that these factors, which often may be subtle and undetected, suggest that SIDS is somehow associated with a harmful prenatal environment. But again, we ask, if the definition of SIDS is unpreventable and unexplained, how can it be "associated" with anything? Hum?

Facts on SIDS: Some Statistics

However, other sources estimate that the number of SIDS deaths in this country each year may actually be closer to 7,000 (Goyco and Beckerman, 1990).

The larger estimate represents additional cases that are unreported or underreported - for example, cases that should have been reported as SIDS but were not.

When considering the overall number of live births each year, SIDS remains the leading cause of death in the United States among infants between 1 month and 1 year of age and second only to congenital anomalies as the leading overall cause of death for all infants less than 1 year of age.

Facts on SIDS: How Do Professionals Diagnose SIDS?

Often the cause of an infant death can be determined only through a process of collecting information, conducting sometimes complex forensic tests and procedures, and talking with parents and physicians.

When a death is sudden and unexplained, investigators, including medical examiners and coroners - use the special expertise of forensic medicine which is the application of medical knowledge to legal issues.

SIDS is no exception.

Health professionals make use of three avenues of investigation in determining a SIDS death:

An autopsy,

The death scene investigation,

A review of victim and family case history.

Facts on SIDS: What SIDS Is and What SIDS Is Not?

According to the SIDS network:

SIDS is:

The major cause of death in infants from 1 month to 1 year of age, with most deaths occurring between 2 and 4 months

Sudden and silent - the infant was seemingly healthy

Currently, unpredictable and unpreventable

A death that occurs quickly, often associated with sleep and with no signs of suffering

Determined only after an autopsy, an examination of the death scene, and a review of the clinical history

Designated as a diagnosis of exclusion

A recognized medical disorder listed in the International Classification of Diseases, 9th Revision (ICD-9)

An infant death that leaves unanswered questions

SIDS is not:

Caused by vomiting and choking, or minor illnesses such as colds or other infections

Caused by the diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus (DPT) vaccines, or other immunizations

Contagious

Child abuse

The cause of every unexpected infant death

So here we can say that we understand that SIDS is not caused by anything...

...yet there is a list of risk factors and other influences.

After reading all of this you may still be confused - we sure were. So we would like to present further information. Hopefully it will help you draw a clearer picture about this mysterious syndrome once and for all.

Facts on SIDS: Preventing SIDS?

We would like to start by pointing out a couple of things:

Hum?

Crazy you say...

Absurd!

...Then please read on.

Facts on SIDS: SIDS and Vaccines

Facts From Dr. Erwin Gemmer

Dr. Gemmer wrote a very interesting book on medical fads that answers questions we never even knew to ask! It is scary to read but very informative. This is what he has to say about facts on SIDS.

In fact, 3,000 babies die each year within 4 days of being vaccinated.

There was soon, however, a crop of neurologically damaged two-year-olds.

Would you like more facts on SIDS? Read on.

The records of over one hundred babies who died in their sleep were examined. According to the report, one out of 16 of these babies died within 12 hours of receiving a pertussis vaccination.

By 24 hours, it was up to one out of 8...

...50 percent increase.

After three days, it was one out of four...

...another 50 percent increase.

By the time seven days had elapsed, over one third of the babies were dead. Seven out of ten - 70% - were dead less than three weeks after being given the pertussis vaccination.

Now get this...

Honored twice as America's Doctor of the Year, Dr. William C. Douglass, M.D. stated:

Facts on SIDS: Conclusion

By presenting this information, we are not saying that giving vaccinations will hurt or even kill your baby. That is obvious. We were vaccinated ourselves.

But maybe it's time to look at the price of these vaccinations, not to mention which babies have a higher propensity to be negatively affected by these shots.

Yes, we know doctors say the risks are small...

...and we guess they are.

But when it is your baby, the statistic is 100%!

Here is something else to think about:

How long was the drug DES given, causing major problems without regard, before doctors stopped giving it to pregnant women? By the way, it was NEVER pulled off the market.

What if the drugs we are given today are not as safe as we think - or are told - they are...

...Only to find out too late.

We just ask that you do your research.

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Facts on SIDS: Reviews

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