MrMakersFartyParty, you might be interested in this article, though you are probably familiar with the gist of it.
www.npr.org/2011/07/15/137859024/rethinking-sids-many-deaths-no-longer-a-mystery
...the mystery surrounding SIDS is not what it once was. Many SIDS deaths are now believed to be accidents caused by unsafe sleep practices. And some are questioning whether the term SIDS remains relevant at all.
SIDS: A 'Diagnosis Of Exclusion'
In Wayne County, Mich., 50 to 60 infants die suddenly and unexpectedly each year, most of them in Detroit.
For the past 11 years, the task of investigating those cases has fallen to Pat Tackitt, a pediatric mortality investigator for the Wayne County Medical Examiner's Office.
When an infant dies, law enforcement will contact her. She'll head out immediately to the family's home, spending anywhere from one to five hours talking with the family, using a doll to help parents re-enact what happened.
She'll hand the doll to the parents and ask them to show her where they placed the baby down, when they last saw the baby alive, and how they found him or her. She'll also find out who and what was around.
In all, Tackitt has gone to the scene of more than 500 infant deaths — so many, she stopped counting.
In almost all of the cases, Tackitt says, she found that the baby was in an unsafe sleep environment. The baby may have been sleeping face down, may have been covered by a blanket or pillow, or may have gotten lodged between sofa cushions. In some cases, the baby was sleeping with a parent who rolled on top of the infant in the night.
Tackitt says these are all signs of accidental suffocation, not SIDS.
"There are some deaths that we cannot prevent. These are not those deaths," she says. "The vast majority of these are preventable deaths. There's been very, very few that we've seen that could not be prevented."
SIDS is defined as the sudden death of an infant under 1 year of age, which remains unexplained after a thorough case investigation, including performance of a complete autopsy, examination of the death scene, and review of the clinical history.
It's often called a "diagnosis of exclusion," meaning it's the diagnosis that's given when everything else has been ruled out. But, Tackitt says, often the term SIDS comes up prematurely.
"We find that in many cases, families have been told from the time the ambulance drove up to the time that the clergy saw them in the emergency room ... that this is going to be a SIDS death," Tackitt says. "All that means is, 'We don't know.' Why would we start out saying 'we don't know,' when we haven't even looked yet?"
Some would argue that a SIDS diagnosis offers compassion in a moment of distress, and a way to avoid blaming parents amid the tragedy.
Wayne County Chief Medical Examiner Carl Schmidt disagrees.
"I think that's cruel," Schmidt says. "I think actually sitting down with a parent and telling them what happened is much more humane than trying to obscure the reasons why that infant actually died. Most people really want to know what happened, so they won't do it again."
In Wayne County, it's been four years since they last signed out a death as SIDS. And that's true elsewhere, too.
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American Academy Of Pediatrics Guidelines.
(Yes I know it's American advice).
Safe Sleep Practices
Always place babies to sleep on their backs during naps and at nighttime. Because babies sleeping on their sides are more likely to accidentally roll onto their stomachs, the side position is not as safe as the back and is not recommended.
Don't cover the heads of babies with a blanket or overbundle them in clothing and blankets.
Avoid letting the baby get too hot. The baby could be too hot if you notice sweating, damp hair, flushed cheeks, heat rash and rapid breathing. Dress the baby lightly for sleep. Set the room temperature in a range that is comfortable for a lightly clothed adult.
Safe Sleep Environment
Place your baby in a safety-approved crib with a firm mattress and a well-fitting sheet (cradles and bassinets may be used, but choose those that are JPMA [Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association] certified for safety).
Place the crib in an area that is always smoke-free.
Don't place babies to sleep on adult beds, chairs, sofas, waterbeds or cushions.
Toys and other soft bedding, including fluffy blankets, comforters, pillows, stuffed animals and wedges should not be placed in the crib with the baby. These items can impair the infant's ability to breathe if they cover his face.
Breast-feed your baby. Experts recommend that mothers feed their children human milk at least through the first year of life.
The safest place for your baby to sleep is in the room where you sleep. Place the baby's crib or bassinet near your bed (within an arm's reach). This makes it easier to breast-feed and to bond with your baby.
Source: American Academy of Pediatrics