Dummies and SIDS

[Peach]

Doctors now believe that babies should be given a pacifier at bedtime to reduce the risk of SIDS. Experts believe that the pacifier prevents the baby from sleeping too deeply - a problem with babies prone to SIDS. However, you should not reinsert your babys pacifier if it falls out during sleep, never coat the pacifier with any sweet substance, and dont force a pacifier on your baby if he or she refuses it.

Interesting ...

[StrawberryMumma]

Hi Jen!

It is interesting. Where did that come from?

[Peach]

I get weekly emails from babyweekly on child development and they just sent it to me.

[Lucy]

Interesting. Is babyweekly a US site?

SIDS Australia have rejected the US research on this topic:

Australian SIDS researchers reject dummy advice
Posted Tue Dec 13, 2005 8:14am AEDT
Updated Fri Dec 16, 2005 11:35am AEDT

Australian researchers have rejected studies emerging from the United States that recommend babies be given dummies to reduce the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).

SIDS researchers in Australia say parents should ignore the US advice.

Jan Carey from SIDS and Kids says the evidence is not conclusive and the best way to prevent deaths is to sleep babies on their back, with their face uncovered.

"What we do know and what is conclusive and what is reducing the SIDS rates and fatal sleeping accidents is - it's very important that babies are put to bed on their back to sleep from birth in an environment that's their own environment - not in bed with their parents, with their faces uncovered in a smoke-free environment," she said.

"The SIDS rates have dropped most dramatically in Australia and the United Kingdom - not so dramatically in the United States and we know that we're leading the world in the reduction of SIDS deaths.

"So we want to make sure that parents focus on that and don't think that if they give a baby a dummy that that's all they have to do."

From a personal perspective, I have some niggles that concern me about not allowing babies to sleep deeply. Obviously I would do anything recommended to minimise the risk of SIDS, but I am at odds with attempting to not allow a baby sleep its natural sleep.....IYKWIM?

[visitor1]

Im not a dummy fan...but will admit both my girls have them. Ive heard the SIDS/Dummy link before from my GP...

Interesting Lucy....but i see their point...if it was as easy as just giving a dummy and then parents think their babies are safe from SIDS.

[Peach]

a naturopath that i knew told me there was also a link between imunisations and sids *apparantly* in japan they dont immunise till the children are 2 and sids is extremely low compared to us... not sure how credible the info is tho.

I give my little one a dummy to go to bed (only in the last 2 weeks she has started taking a dummy) because she usually feed herself to sleep and when i take the booby away she wakes so a dummy for me has been a godsend, however I take it out once she has fallen into a deep sleep. I do know what you mean lucy about interfering with nature...

[Shellbelle]

I have never heard anything about dummies and sids - interesting. Angus has a dummy but only because he too was BF to sleep and would wake up when he fell off as such. He only took it when he was about 4weeks old. i have to say he is a very light sleeper, but does spit it out at night when he is in his deep sleep!