New SIDS research - babies dream about being in the womb

[mollipops]

I saw in the newspaper here (Aust) today that a local researcher claims there is a link between a baby's dreams and SIDS. He says it is possible they dream they are back in the womb and relying on the mother's oxygen and so stop breathing! I thought this was fascinating...although scary. It makes sense that babies would dream about being in the womb since this is about the sum total of their life experience! And they do spend a large proportion of their sleep time in REM sleep, which is when dreams usually occur.

There is a study which showed that when adults dreamed of being underwater they actually held their breath! Of course you can ask an adult what they just dreamt but you can't ask a baby, so I'm not sure how this guy plans to prove his theory but he has written a book about it.

What do other mumsnetters think about this?

I suppose it's possible molli and if it is true I think that it makes the prospect of cot death even scarier. It means that there really is nothing we can do to prevent it. At least when health professionals were giving advice re mattresses and bedding etc we felt like we had some control over it and could take measures to prevent it.

But wickedstepmother, that advice regarding matresses / smoking / bedding etc. has worked extrememly well statistically. It hasn't eliminated cot death but it has prevented many.

So I think this researcher is talking something between nonsense and only a portion of the truth. An interesting idea though - what do babies dream about? (I like to think dd's dream is of a world full of enormous sticky labels).

Sorry Lucy I think you misunderstood the point I was making. I meant that we can do all we can physically to prevent cot death, keeping them cool and free from cigarette toxins etc, but we can't control their dreams. As parents we do everything to protect our children but if it really is down to a baby dreaming then I for one feel pretty helpless.

I never seem to explain myself properly on here

Sorry - I often misunderstand too

It's funny really. At the height of my post-birth-manic-paranoia phase during which I developed an obsession with cot death, I wasn't able to find statistics for babies dying of cot death despite their parents following all the rules anywhere. I wonder how many it is (but I'm not paranoid about it anymore, honest).

I have no idea but I bet some clever soul will come up with the relevant link.

I would be interested to read about cot death rates in many countries... is it the same? I know guidelines vary on it !

hi pupace, here in the ex soviet union, they seem to be oblivious to cot death. They are very hot on some things like 6 months breastfeeding, but cot death is never mentioned, and some of our "no nos" are common practice here (even recommended) like, all babies are wrapped in many layers of thick woolly blankets, with woolly hats on, when the indoor temperature is usually 26 degrees or more. They are usually red in the face and sweating) Most homes have at least one smoker (and the flats are small). I have asked friends about it, but no-one seems to have heard of it. I don't know if this is because they don't distinguish it from all infant deaths, or if it is because babies sleep with mum (under 10 blankets, swaddled with their heads covered) and sleeping with mum helps? I have heard that in Japan cot death is almost zero, and that this is because babies sleep with mum for the first year. Don't know if that is reliable though. Interestingly, in Asia, they never seem (IME) to put babies down to sleep on their fronts. Anyone else out there know if that is true?

sorry, that was pupuce obviously, and BTW, I've been meaning to ask you, what is it that you do? I keep seeing you mention it, and i don't know what it is, and now, just when I need to find the word, I can't remember what it is??? Sorry, Hope that makes sense!