SIDS book that will blow your mind....

[Inertia]

evidence-based research that strongly links (aka proves) the cause of SIDS (toxicity)

My neice had a brand new mattress in a brand new crib using brand new linen in a brand new dress - all in a near new house.

I simply cannot see how toxicity could have played any part in her passing. My sister is OCD about germs and cleanliness. She wouldn't even let my kids stay in the same room as her kids when we stayed with her.

And considering these toxic gasses "cannot be detected in post mortem exams" - its hard to called it proven.

My kids however have slept on my well used mattress. Daytime in their second hand cots. I am living in a house built in the 50s!

NONE of that can account for the babies who have passed from SIDS in car seats and their mothers arms.

That is WHY they are still researching. Because those cases contraindict a great deal of accepted folklore. 95% may pass in their bed yes, but the 5% that don't have to have that variable explained. The most logical one is that babies spend more time sleeping and most are put in their bed to do that.

It is like the statistic that most car accidents happen less than 5kms from your home. It is not because of any other reason but that most driving is done within 5km of your home! If people stopped using cots because of the cot death term and started using prams, before long it would shift the problem to prams.

From what I have read of the book it makes it sound like preventing SIDS is as easy as buying a new mattress every time you have another baby. I only wish it were true because then my niece would still be with us today!

[Talia*L]

It was my understanding that one of the main concerns / causes of 'toxic gasses' was NEW mattresses and bedding - with the plastics and chemical fumes?

I certainly won't be vaccinating til 2 years.

[Muppity]

Oh Please! I'm sorry that I don't have more time to respond to this post now.

The "sleep babies on their back" campaign more than halved the number of cot deaths in Australia each year. But yeah - I suppose that it was just an international conspiracy to try and get Mums and Dads to part with their well earned dollars.

Clearly the writers of the book have never actually had to apply for a research grant - trust me - there is no way that you do research into anything unless you actually believe in it - it just isn't worth the effort. Research scientists are some of the most lowly paid people in this country - most would earn more being a checkout operator and not using their years and years of university education.

[JellyBean]

The "dont sleep babies on their back" campaign more than halved the number of cot deaths in Australia each year.

Yes. I'm sorry if I downplayed this important factor. However, this truth supports the toxic gas mattress chemical link, and yet the medical establishment refuses to accept it as a valid or likely cause (or even a potential link), despite the overwhelming evidence to the contrary. I also want to say that the main doctor behind the toxic gas research is a chemist and forensic scientist. Therefore he is one of those people who are dedicated to their field and probably being paid pittance to do so. He has nothing to gain financially or professionally from educating parents about his research findings (other than save lives)- and he has been fighting an uphill battle with his own community of medicine for over a decade. He has even received death threats and yet he continues to push the truth as he knows it.

As a side note, I am only comfortable co-sleeping or sleeping my babies on their tummy because I have eliminated what I believe to be related risks of toxicity, however I would not feel comfortable encouraging another parent to do the same had they not addressed these issues first. I just wanted to make that clear.

[Inanna]

I haven't of course read this book & I want to acknowledge & empathise the pain and confrontion that may be felt by those that have lost a child or loved a child that was lost to SIDS...

Inertia I also am not sure about the "proven toxicity" & I am very interested to learn more about this book. However, I will share some of what I do know & my own personal experiences.

Firstly a new house is known to be far more "toxic" than an old one! This is because many of the materials that are used commonly to manufacture homes emit gases... Floor polishing, painting, the cabinetry are all known to emit toxic gases. Even lounge suites especially those that have beeen treated with stain proofing etc.

We know that these gases can trigger autoimmune responses in adults and children - so it does make sense that the same could happen (to my way of thinking) to a baby.

I personally had four children & then began to lose baby after baby after baby. It was discovered it was due to an autoimmune response & I had developed an "antiphospholipid like" illness... We know there is often a trigger for this. Also we know that often it occurs after someone has built a new house...

Of course it would be erroneous and rash (excuse the pun! ) to lay all of the reasons at the feet of these toxic emissions. However, there is enough concern that it raises lots of eyebrows. This chemical is formaldehyde and it is emitted from particle board, wood panel products etc. If you look around the average new home there are a LOT of these toxins being emitted. This is to name but one. But I believe it to be a big offender....

Many excited new parents buy new particle board furniture, recarpet and paint... These, unless a toxic free alternative is used are all carcinogens and toxic...

So, a new environment isn't necessarily a safer one...

The link with formaldeyde emissions and SIDS is not new - it's been suspected for a long time... As with other childhood and adult cancers & autoimmune issues. The rise in autoimmune disease has been substantial - some argue it can be related back to the introduction of the particle board products being used largely in house building and furniture building. Formaldehyde emissions from carpets, paints to name a few...

So, just wanted to add what I do know about this...

[Kirley64]

I would be very interested in reading the book. As a first time mum it is so confusing. Vaccinate or not, co-sleep or not, bassinett or cot, sids prevention etc etc.

I have personally been touched by a sids tradgedy.... my god son passed away in only july last year - he was 10 months old. He was a premmie baby and his mum smoked, he was also formula fed - which apparently increases the chances....he was a healthy happy baby though with no health problems & was slightly out of the 'huge risk' age bracket. He slept in his own cot this particular night, with no bumper and a small amount of blankets. he is able to crawl around and move and was not under any blankets when he was found (didn't suffocate)

Obviously I am so nervous about what i should or shouldn't do - because I don't ever want to go through what his parents have. So i have bought one of those heartbeat sensors and read all about what to do to prevent sids....

Then my doula gave me a book about extremes in raising children, (sorry i can't remember the title now, but i think it was 10 ways of raising kids or something like that)..... and sids was mentioned as was co-sleeping. It said about how in the western world we are so set on giving a baby it's own space, its own room away from human contact like we want nothing to do with it. And we wonder why it cries? All babies want is human touch and stimulation....

In predominately 3rd world countries, they have a significant amount of hours of less crying and fussing by their babies, they co-sleep, breastfeed to comfort the baby when it slightly stirrs (not to a schedule) and they have no cases of sids....
This got me thinking and seriously wondering about co-sleeping. I have bassinett set up next to my bed because i think i will predominately use that - only for fear of being winter and having lots of blankets and pillows in our bed and not wanting to suffocate the baby.

So it's somewhere between a rock and hard place for me atm. I do think that some of the 'statistics' need re-evaluating to determine the real 'no cause' sids and those of 'suffocation' and 'accidents' (ie. parents falling asleep on couch with baby and baby falling down side or something) because it seems that each variable is affecting the number of cases of sids each year. Then it would be very interesting to see what the numbers said.

[wysiwyg]

I haven't read the book yet have on order at library, but have done some googling and would say I am sceptical about it especially after reading the SIDS for KIDS link thanks Just Me for posting. I suppose for me is anything that suggests that people spend years and years of their life researching something and do not actually want to find a cause, I just can not believe.

There are also so many things we do not understand in this world just because we can put a man on the moon etc doesn't mean that we can find an answer to everything. Adults can die in their sleep too (my sister found her flatmate, my DH knows someone who found their husband) and sometimes they just can not pin point why. The biology of us is amazing and immensely complex, to me is no surprise that we can do something technological like launch satellites and walk on the moon but can't pinpoint the cause of SIDS or find a cure for cancer etc.

Also from what I have read it seems to suggest old mattresses are the issue (increasing risk with subsequent children) the book is highlighting, so actually if the research did prove this it would be good for the cot mattress manufacturers. I am not actually clear on who and how big bucks are being made from hiding the info from us?

[Peg]

My neice had a brand new mattress in a brand new crib using brand new linen in a brand new dress - all in a near new house.

I simply cannot see how toxicity could have played any part in her passing. My sister is OCD about germs and cleanliness. She wouldn't even let my kids stay in the same room as her kids when we stayed with her.

And considering these toxic gasses "cannot be detected in post mortem exams" - its hard to called it proven.

toxicity comes from more then just mattresses

immunisations are full of toxic substances....and babies get a hell of a lot of it in their first year of life http://poisonevercure.150m.com/ingredients.htm]Toxic Ingredients
__________________________________________________ ___
Birth
*Hep B:

1–2 months
*Hep B:

2 months
* DTaP: Diphtheria, tetanus, and acellular pertussis vaccine
* Hib: Haemophilus influenzae type b vaccine
* IPV: Inactivated poliovirus vaccine
* PCV: Pneumococcal conjugate vaccine
* Rota: Rotavirus vaccine

4 months
* DTaP
* Hib
* IPV
* PCV
* Rota

6 months
* DTaP
* Hib
* PCV
* Rota

_________________________________________________

Im not posting this to scare anyone from immunizations, but simply to recognize that they do infact contain substances are toxic, so we need to be aware of the dangers and make informed decisions for our children and minimize the risk factors if we possibly can.


I have immunized my kids btw... i just waited until they started school.

[Inertia]

I think the biggest thing here is really that its a huge gaping difference between your mentality as a parent when you have not been touched by sids to when you have.. I do not mean that offensively at all!! I had 5 children before my niece passed away, and while I knew of SIDS and was scared of it, I would read the literature, then read some more here and there and formulate the best way I knew to protect my children from SIDS. I felt comfort in what I read to what I was doing. Hypothosies worked for me. It was just another something I could add to my arsenal of information to protect my babies.

I have only had one since then - and nothing, absolutely nothing sets my mind at ease. I sit in the same room on my bed next to her during every single daytime nap. If I have to be doing something else then I am walking into the room every 5 minutes. I don't fall asleep - I simply pass out from exhaustion while watching her sleep.

Nothing short of tested and retested unequivocal proof will ever set my mind at ease again.



However the real problem with going on about the red tape of red nose day and putting a downer on research foundations is that it is ignoring the work that they do to help and support families who have lost a child.

[JellyBean]

Nothing short of tested and retested unequivocal proof will ever set my mind at ease again.

I think that is perfectly understandable given your circumstances. I do know people who have been affected with SIDS - although they are not close family or friends of mine.
Even eliminating what I believe to be the major risk factors doesn't stop me from checking on my baby when he sleeps from time to time. I acknowledge that I cannot control all factors in the universe and that sometimes - bad things just happen for no apparent reason.
It is my belief however (after reading the book), that sudden infant death is largely preventable. It just made so much sense to me, you know - there was no mystery in it - once explained there was just no doubting that I was holding truth between the pages. So I just felt compelled to share what I know - I cannot expect that every parent or reader will feel the same way.
But if there is a possibility that this thread enlightens 1 person to aquire the info that inspires them to make changes that prevent a SIDS incident - I'm glad that I posted it.

Enough waffling now - my house is a mess!

[Oorki Galoorki]

it is very hard to have a child's death to be classed as SIDs. infact there is now a law that if the death can not be decided upon(ie SIDs, suffocation), the parents can get charged.

[Inertia]

OG, My sisters partner did not want a post mortem performed - not because he had anything to hide but he wanted his baby to be left alone. In the end they agreed to it because they threatened to take them to court for an order to allow it to happen and she would be held "in stasis" until then.


Anyway;
To get it classified as SIDS - which is not an actual diagnosis, but a diagnosis of exclusion, absolutely everything has to be within normal ranges and there literally be absolutely no evidence whatsoever of a cause.

So over here SIDS is SIDS, and Suffocation is "Fatal Sleep Accident".

ETA: Sorry if I have upset you, JB, but this is one issue very close to my heart.

[slyder]

it is very hard to have a child's death to be classed as SIDs. infact there is now a law that if the death can not be decided upon(ie SIDs, suffocation), the parents can get charged.

Can you give us a link to this law (through austlii or other source)?