Unsafe Sleep Research Paper

( Hayes, Robert & Stowe, 1996). In more studies co-sleeping protect some babies from sudden infant death (SIDS), co-sleeping babies tend to nurse more often, sleep lightly, and have more practice at responding to maternal arousal. Arousal deficiencies have been linked to some sudden infant death and long periods of deep sleep for the infant could complicate the matters more.

It is every parents’ worst fear to wake up one morning to find that their child has passed away without warning. Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), the common name used today is also referred to as Crib Death, which is an unexplained death occurring during sleep of a seemingly healthy baby less than a year old (mayo clinic). Even though there are some ways to prevent SIDS, there is no guarantee that a child is a hundred percent safe. Some ways to prevent SIDS can be done with parental knowledge of how SIDS occurs. Even though the baby has nothing medically wrong, it could be that the parents did something unintentionally by accident or are simply uniformed.

Article 1 – Why Babies Should Never Sleep Alone: A Review of the co-sleeping controversy in relation to SIDS, bedsharing and breastfeeding

Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) is the sudden unexplained death of an infant aged one or younger that continues to remain a mystery even after a thorough investigation is done, which includes an examination of the scene along with an autopsy. SIDS was first recognized in the United States in the 1960s, with over 7,000 infants dying suddenly and unexpectedly each year. Researchers discovered that placing babies to sleep on their back decreased this risk, as babies that were put to sleep on their side tended to roll onto their stomach, causing them to smother. The Back to Sleep Campaign was launched in 1994; it played a significant role in decreasing the SIDS rates amongst all populations. However, certain populations continue to experience

Co-sleeping vs sleeping alone. Is it a problem or possibly good for the child's development? Is it life threatening? Or is it completely safe? Does Co-sleeping promote anything healthy? What are the risks involved with it? There has been much research on this subject as to whether or not co-sleeping is healthy for not only the infant but the mother and father as well. In this essay I will evaluate the pros and cons of co-sleeping, show my research and come to a conclusion I think is best.

Everyone, at some point in life, has experienced the terror of waking up from a disconcerting dream and longing for the comfort that only a mother can provide. Imagine there is an infant, new to the world and confused about everything around him, and how this child must feel when awakening with this uneasy feeling. Who knows how long it could take for the child’s mother to wake and come to his aid and how long that will feel to the newborn. Now imagine that the baby is right next to his mother, and just as he begins to stir, this warm familiar hand brings solace and familiarity with just a slight touch, quieting the child before there is any disturbance. This situation is one of the many positive ways that co-sleeping can affect a family. Co-sleeping is a hypernym of sleeping arrangements defined by Wendy Goldberg as “the presence of a caregiver who sleeps within close enough proximity of the infant to permit the exchange of at least two sensory stimuli” (par. 8). Goldberg is a psychology professor at the University of California, with specializations in infant sleep and transition into parenthood, among other things. While the medical community is at odds on the topic of co-sleeping, both sides acknowledge the risks and benefits of the other; however, the belief that co-sleeping is the superior arrangement for both baby and parent definitely has more corroborative evidence than the inadequate data used in advocating for solitary sleeping.

In the US, the leading cause of death among infants is due to sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). Although SIDS rates have gradually and significantly decreased since the decade of the 90s, is still a concern among parents and medical professionals. Although SIDS remains mostly a mystery, scientific studies have pointed some reasons why occurs, (Engelke, Schub, & Pravikoff, 2015; Shaffer & Kipp, 2010). Studies also indicate that babies of adolescent mothers are at increased risk of SIDS. In addition, babies who are twins, triplets, or quadruplets are also at risk of SIDS in particular when sharing beds. Infants of mothers who have problems with alcohol or drug addiction as well, or are exposed to second hand smoke by some of their parents also are vulnerable to SIDS, (Engelke, Schub, & Pravikoff, 2015; Moon, 2011; Odle & Frey, 2011 ).

SIDS is a symptom that refers to the sudden death of infants in their sleep. This symptom is usually seen in infants twelve months and younger. The exact cause of this syndrome is unknown, however, there are certain factors that through research have shown to have a contribution to the cause of sudden death among young infants. These factors may include co-sleeping, which is defined as an infant sharing sleeping surface with one or more adults. Maternal smoking and alcohol consumption are also factors that can contribute to sudden infant deaths as well as prone sleeping, the act of placing an infant to sleep face down (Knight, Webster, Kemp, & Comino, 2013). The rate of SIDS has dropped over time due to the rise of awareness of the factors that may cause this syndrome which have been discovered through numerous studies (Knight, et. al., 2013).

Even so, the risk of SIDS can be reduced. First infants younger than 1 year old should be placed on their backs to sleep, never face-down

Researchers have studied the many possible causes of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome and four have been selected for this paper.

If the mother is right there to perform these actions during the night, both the children can get more sleep and there is a great comfort and safety knowing they're in the same room. In some studies relating to cultural practices on co-sleeping it was seen that many infant death rates were higher in parts of the world that resulted in co-sleeping (Gupta, 2014). Thus meaning children often got suffocated, got strangled or died due to SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome) due to sleeping with parents in the same bed. Sudden infant death syndrome is when a healthy baby dies unexpectedly while sleeping (Mayo Clinic Staff, 2014). It’s important that a mother is careful about sleeping with their child because it can lead to death. While having a child sleep alone can encourage independence and individuality, some cultures prefer to nurture their babies by sleeping with

Nurses can play a vital role in the provision of information about safe sleep practices to parents. Several nursing interventions can be used in order to ensure parents are aware of SIDS, have proper information about why SIDS can occur, and be aware of the precautionary measures which can be taken to decrease the risks. As Aris et al mention “parental practices regarding infant sleep position are strongly influenced by their observation of the sleep position of their infant in the hospital”

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) developed what is known as: “The Back to Sleep Campaign”. The campaign provides education regarding safe sleeping measures among infants. One of the most important implementations to prevent sudden infant death syndrome is putting infants to sleep on their backs. Avoid putting toys, stuffed animals or extra pillows in the infant crib given the fact that these objects could cover the infants mouth or nose and prevent them to breath. Studies have determined that efforts made at increasing parental education Infant Safe Sleep practices with consistent and repetitive message decreased infant sleep-related mortality (Goodstein et. al, 2015). Nurses should modeled best practices for infant safe sleep and education

In the article, “Bringing the Parent Back into Decisions about Nighttime Care,” the author explains that health care providers are only telling parents about the already known information about infants and how to minimize their nightwaking during night time infant care. This does not leave room for both parent and healthcare provider to discuss any alternatives and because it causes parents to think there is basically no other option, parents will ignore the advice of the healthcare provider because it does not match up with their beliefs. It can also limit other conversations for parents as well such as developmentally appropriate sleeping routines, infant safety, and flexibility in parent choices. Parents ultimately want to teach infants

     Finally, sleep is lost and never will be regained. During the first year of a baby’s life, parents, especially mothers, lose 700 or more hours of sleep. That is a lot. No wonder parents look like a walking zombie. When babies do sleep through the night, parents still wake up to check on them to make sure that they are comfortable and everything is all right. Unfortunately, babies aren’t the only cause for loss of sleep. Teenagers are to. They go out and stay