A total of 165 babies have died of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) over the past five years, although placing a sleeping baby on their back can reduce the risk, the Health Promotion Administration (HPA) said yesterday.
SIDS, also known as “crib death,” is the death of a seemingly healthy baby of 12 months or younger that remains unexplained even after a thorough autopsy and detailed investigation of the death scene have been conducted.
The syndrome has been among the top 10 causes of infant death in Taiwan since 2008, the administration said, adding that there were 165 SIDS cases from 2013 to last year — about one to two babies out of every 10,000 live births — with 23 cases reported last year alone.
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, SIDS is the third-leading cause of child mortality in the US, with about 1,900 cases a year, the HPA said.
A literature review of studies published on JAMA Pediatrics in 2016 suggested that placing a sleeping baby on their stomach led to a higher risk of SIDS than placing a baby on their back.
The Taiwan Pediatric Association also suggested that sleeping babies of 12 months or younger be placed on their back to prevent SIDS.
Parents and caregivers should always place sleeping babies on their back and remove extra items such as pillows and stuffed animals from the crib, because babies cannot remove soft items that might cover their nose and mouth, risking suffocation, HPA Director-General Wang Ying-wei (王英偉) said.
Babies can sleep in the same room as parents or siblings, but not in the same bed, the administration said, adding that the baby’s blankets should be lightweight and breathable, and tucked no higher than the shoulders.
Babies can also sleep in a fitted baby sleeping bag that rests on a flat, firm mattress with a fitted sheet, the administration said.
Never place a sleeping baby on a sofa, chair or cushion — or on their stomach on top of the parent’s body, it added.
The air quality of the room should be good, without cigarette smoke, and the room’s temperature should be adjusted so that the baby will feel neither too hot nor too cold, the administration said.
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