SIDS

14 Stories

Crib Cams May Hold Clues to 'Every Parent's Nightmare'

Scientists say videos show seizures may be behind sudden unexplained death in childhood, or SUDC

(Newser) - The last bedtime of 17-month-old Hayden Fell's life was heartbreakingly normal. Crib video shows the toddler in pajamas playing happily as his parents and sister sang "Wheels on the Bus" with his twin brother. The next morning, Hayden's dad couldn't wake him. The tot had become...

After Scientists Back Mom Convicted of Killing 4 Babies, an Inquiry

Kathleen Folbigg's case re-opened, after scientists say infants likely died of genetic mutations

(Newser) - A second Australian inquiry into the case of Kathleen Folbigg, the mother convicted of killing her four children decades ago, has been opened after dozens of scientists called for her to be pardoned. The first inquiry into the case, which ended in 2019, found no reasonable doubt. The second inquiry...

Researchers Make 'Breakthrough' SIDS Finding
Researchers Make
'Breakthrough' SIDS Finding
new study
May 12, 2022 4:47 PM CDT

Researchers Make 'Breakthrough' SIDS Finding

Babies who die of the syndrome have lower levels of a particular enzyme, says new study

(Newser) - A researcher who lost her own child to SIDS has made a discovery that could help other parents avoid the same fate. A team led by Australian scientist Carmel Harrington has found that babies who die of sudden infant death syndrome have low levels of a particular enzyme, reports Australia'...

Study Highlights Tragic Risks of Smoking While Pregnant

Just one cigarette per day while pregnant doubles baby's risk of unexpected death

(Newser) - A new study finds dire statistics for women who smoke while pregnant: Even one cigarette a day doubles your baby's risk of sudden unexpected infant death. SUID is defined as any death of an infant under 1 year of age from sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), accidental suffocation or...

Cops: She Killed 6-Month Old, 2 Who Were Even Younger

Nancy Moronez's daughter went to police

(Newser) - A Wisconsin woman has been charged with suffocating three babies more than 30 years ago—cases that investigators initially attributed to sudden infant death syndrome, prosecutors said Friday. The cases were reopened in March 2015 after Nancy Moronez's daughter told police her mother confessed to suffocating Moronez's son...

Study Finds Too Many Babies Still Sleeping Unsafely
Moms Still Put Babies
to Sleep in Unsafe Positions
NEW STUDY
Aug 22, 2017 1:10 PM CDT

Moms Still Put Babies to Sleep in Unsafe Positions

Less than half of mothers always put babies to sleep on their backs

(Newser) - In 1994, the "Back to Sleep" campaign launched, urging American parents to put their babies to sleep on their backs to reduce the risk of sudden infant death syndrome, CBS News reports. According to News Medical , rates of infants sleeping on their back increased from 10% to 78% over...

New Theory on When Babies Should Be in Own Room
New Theory
on When 
Babies Should
Be in Own Room
NEW STUDY
Jun 5, 2017 10:15 AM CDT

New Theory on When Babies Should Be in Own Room

Study suggests moving them out of parents' room at 6 months improves sleep

(Newser) - More fodder for the debate on when babies should be sleeping in their own rooms: A new study in Pediatrics suggests 6 months of age is a good target, which generally contradicts advice from the American Academy of Pediatrics. The AAP says babies should sleep in the same room as...

New SIDS Advice: Beware Dozing Off While Feeding

It's common, warns pediatric group

(Newser) - A pediatricians group has updated its advice on Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, and those guidelines touch on a common hazard for the first time: It's not unusual for moms to fall asleep while breastfeeding, so they should plan accordingly. Specifically, that means a sleepy mom would be better off...

Swaddling Linked to Increased Risk of SIDS

Study reinforces importance of putting baby to sleep on back

(Newser) - Parents are often told to swaddle their newborn babies in order to help them sleep, but a new analysis of studies finds that the practice may increase the risk of SIDS, the New York Times reports. Researchers looked at four studies that examined a total of 760 cases of sudden...

Dangers Lurk in How Babies Sleep
 Dangers Lurk in 
 How Babies Sleep 
STUDY SAYS
Jul 15, 2014 10:34 AM CDT

Dangers Lurk in How Babies Sleep

Loose bedding and co-sleeping linked to infant deaths

(Newser) - Frilly crib bumpers may add a whimsical touch to a nursery, but they could be dangerous for infants. A study published in August’s Pediatrics journal says that sharing a bed, as well as items left in a baby’s sleep area are risk factors in infant deaths, reports Time...

Fort Bragg Probes Sudden Infant Deaths

10 babies have died at base since 2007

(Newser) - Ten babies under the age of eight months have died suddenly in military housing at Fort Bragg since early 2007, and investigators haven't been able to figure out why. Officials don't suspect foul play, but are looking into environmental conditions, structural factors and hazardous materials as possible causes, the Los ...

Your Cat Will Not Smother Your Baby

(Newser) - A column suggesting that housecats murder babies out of jealousy has earned the Houston Chronicle a lot of, well, catcalls. It's not true, the paper now reports. “It’s funny that someone would still actually think that is true,” said a veterinarian and SPCA official. “That is...

Fans Linked to Lower Risk of Infant Death

72% fewer SIDS deaths in bedrooms with better air circulation

(Newser) - A simple fan could be the key to reducing the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, reports ABC News. Researchers discovered that babies who slept in a room with a fan were 72% less likely to die from SIDS, according to the study published in the Archives of Pediatrics and ...

Sudden Infant Death Linked to Bacteria

Key research on baby deaths

(Newser) - Some cases of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome may be caused by staph and E. coli infections, a new study finds. British researchers saw significant levels of both bacteria in 470 of 546 SIDS victims ranging in age from 7 days to one year. But scientists don't yet know what the...

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