Preventing SIDS

Image via www.prevent-sids.org 

SIDS is the leading cause of death in healthy babies over one year of age.

From Wikipedia:

Prenatal risks

• inadequate prenatal care ^{[citation needed]}
• inadequate prenatal nutrition
• tobacco smoking
• use of heroin
• subsequent births less than one year apart
• alcohol abuse
• being overweight
• smoking and taking other drugs while pregnant

[edit] Post-natal risks

• low birth weight (especially less than 1.5 kg (~3.3 lb))
• exposure to tobacco smoke^[2]
• laying an infant to sleep on his or her stomach (see sleep positioning below)
• failure to breastfeed
• excess clothing and overheating
• excess bedding, soft sleep surface and stuffed animals
• gender (61% of SIDS cases occur in males)
• age (incidence rises from zero at birth, is highest from two to four months, and declines towards zero at one year)
• premature birth (increase risk of SIDS death by 50 times)

As you can see from the chart at the top of this post, being a second or subsequent baby or being the child of a single parent also puts children at a higher risk of SIDS.

Some other tips:

1. Always put your baby to sleep on it’s back. The Back-To-Sleep campaign has helped dramatically reduce crib deaths.

2. Always keep your crib free of blankets, stuffed animals, toys, extra clothing, and loose or soft bedding.  NEVER USE PILLOWS OR SOFT BUMPER PADS IN A CRIB.  Most SIDS is caused by suffocation. Use a wearable blanket.

3. Get a new (not used) crib mattress and either wrap it in a cover specially designed to prevent SIDS or buy the HALO airflow mattress — the only mattress proven to reduce SIDS — and clean it regularly.  Make sure your mattress fits tightly and that the sheets and pad fight snugly (but not so tightly they might pop off.) Use only 100% cotton sheets and wearable blankets.

4. Never allow a young baby to sleep on a sofa, pillow, cushion, or in adult bed that doesn’t meet the above requirements for cribs (i.e. being totally free of soft bedding).

5. Consider short-term pacifier use as a means of reducing your baby’s risk for SIDS.

Used Baby Gear

Before pregnancy, I had a huge, extensively researched list of all of the best baby gear. I inputed 3 years of reading DaddyTypes, the whole Baby Bargains books, and thousands of Amazon.com lists and reviews to come up with the list to end all lists.

Then we got pregnant, and the stuff started rolling in. The complete 0-12 month dress wardrobe that I wore as a baby, plus my nursery curtains, found in my parent’s attic.  The family heirloom bassinet and hand-crocheted blankets from Grandma’s store room. A big box of onesies and hats from my mom’s co-worker, who I’ve never met. A bag of crib sheets, mattress pads, and waterproof pads from a coworker. A sling, several hats and coats, baby tights, a monitor, and a pull toy  from the neighbors. Somewhere in there we’ve collected enough booties, cloth bibs, and bonnets for twins.

There have already been a few new gifts, too, though the shower is still months away. There’s also the inevitable find — like the $8 Boppy w/ detachable play gym (new in box!) I spotted at the thrift store. And the universal carseat stroller frame found in perfect condition in a neighbor’s curbside pile.

My rules (so far) for accepting used baby gear:

no carseats (always buy the latest and best-rated model, you can’t be sure others have never been in an accident)

no breast pumps (milk gets into the machinery) or bottle nipples/teethers/pacifiers (always buy these new)

no used crib mattresses (higher rate of SIDS with a used mattress)
no cribs with widely spaced slats or broken parts

nothing that’s not either new-in-the-package or in very good condition from a trusted source…

…unless it’s an awesome thrifting or ebay find that can be easily be sanitized.

Finally (and most controversially), I’m not interested in keeping a 20-tab spreadsheet of items that people have “temporarily loaned” us until they have another kid.  Don’t take items that your friends aren’t really, truly done with unless you want to transition your 12-month-old out of his beloved crib because the original owner needs it back.

Colic: Even The Experts Can’t Solve It

Check out the excerpts from a recent New Yorker article via Daddytypes.

Teaching Kids Their Logos

Nontoxicreviews has put together a printable children’s book of colored logos (print it off and store the pages in a photo album.)

Solving Severe Diaper Rash

When diaper rashes break out, forgo wipes in favor of a small spray bottle filled with plain water or at most, a soft wet washcloth. Air dry after changes and baths while holding the baby’s legs up (perhaps on Chux pads or a washable surface like a soft towel or cloth diaper), or use a gentle hair dryer with a COOL setting.  Daddy blogger Ben of the Trixie Update let his daughter air-dry at each change, and never had a problem with diaper rash.  

The Girlfriend’s Guide to Baby Gear recommends “Aqualox,” a recipe used at the Denver Children’s Hospital for severe diaper rash. Combine 6 tablespoons of Aquaphor and an equal amount of regular Maalox in a stand mixer until smooth, and store in a small plastic container with a lid.

Ointments containing zinc oxide are frequently recommended, but they can cause a skin condition known as oxide pox.

 The zinc oxide content of popular diaper rash creams:
Balmex=11.3%
Arbonne’s Herbal Diaper Rash Cream=12%
Bourdreaux’s Butt Paste=16% zinc oxide

Pinxav=30%

Desitin=40% 

For diaper rashes involving yeast, a Nyastin cream or grapefruit seed extract oil (available at health food stores) may help. Or your doctor may approve of mixing some Monistat into Aquaphor.

Also try:

Switching to a different brand of diapers or trying cloth diapers.

Creams with 1 or 1/2% hydrocortizone (for NON-YEAST rashes only!)

Triple Paste (sold at pharmacies with the Enemas).

Milk of Magnesia in the diaper.

Soaking in a lukewarm or cool water with baking soda or oatmeal (finely ground in your blender so it doesn’t clog your pipes).

For an older baby, try avoiding acidic foods (tomatoes and citrus) and adding yogurt or children’s probiotic supplements to the diet.

Lotrimin AF for a fungal rash (looks like burn marks).

Neosporin in a rash has broken the skin.

Sprinkling the diaper area with cornstarch.