“No! Not again! Dan! Dan!” I called and shook my little son in a bid to wake him up all to no avail. I screamed and my husband rushed in to know what’s wrong. “What’s wrong?” He asked. I simply pointed at my little 4months old baby lying lifeless in his crib. My husband checked his pulse and muttered words like rushing him to the hospital, but I couldn’t comprehend. There I stood, numb and speechless, transfixed and almost asphyxiating under my inharmonious breath. Deep down in my heart, I knew that taking him to the hospital was a waste of time. The moment I touched him, I already knew he was long dead! What’s going on, I wondered!
Just like his sister’s, he was dead too! I had lost my first daughter in same manner. She had died while sleeping. At first, I was heartbroken and confused but the healing hands of time intervened. I was consoled when I conceived few months later to another baby girl. People rumoured that my dead baby had returned to torment me, as much as I tried to ignore the comments, it was quite difficult especially as my mother -in- law was also involved. She recommended so many fetish ideas on how to ensure my second daughter did not grow up to be an “Ogbanje”.
But again, tragedy struck when she was just about 3months. Like her sister, she also died mysteriously while sleeping. For months, I couldn’t get the thoughts off my head. My world collapsed momentarily like a pack of cards. I was depressed but my husband was right there with me. He comforted me and we prayed together.
A year later, I conceived Dan. It was a huge relief to know that I had a baby boy. At least now, no one would say my dead daughter is back to torment me. I was particularly very careful the way I cared for him. He was completely healthy and okay that morning after breastfeeding him. I lay him in his crib to take a nap and went to the kitchen to make breakfast. Few minutes later when I went to check up on him, he was lying down on his crib the exact way I left him. Only this time around, he was lifeless.
I had no explanation to the sudden mysterious death of my children. What’s wrong? I asked myself for the umpteenth time! This was so unbearable, the thought of giving birth to another child only to lose my baby in 2-4months was unthinkable. So I searched for an explanation and solutions to my problem.
Five months later, I was having a chat with an old friend of Mine, there and then I got to know about SIDS. At first, when she mentioned SIDS to me, I was surprised. “What’s SIDS?” I asked again. “It’s Sudden Infant Death Syndrome”. She answered. “Is there any such medical condition?” I asked again. “Offcourse! You can google it” she replied. How come I’ve never heard of such a thing? I wondered. And almost immediately I quickly searched for it on Google and discovered with a shock that the mystery surrounding the death of my children has been unravelled!
I wept while reading the ways it could be avoided. But now I know better. And I’m hopeful about my next child, I’ll do my best to keep him/her alive.
Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) is the unexplained death usually during sleep, of a seemingly healthy baby less than a year old. No one actually knows the cause of SIDS which is the main reason it is termed “unexplained death” but it appears that SIDS might be associated with defects in the portion of an infant’s brain that controls breathing and arousal from sleep.
There are however, some factors that can make an infant vulnerable to SIDS such as low birth weight, brain defects, and respiratory infection.
The environmental factors during sleeping such as sleeping pattern also plays a role. I got to know that babies placed on the stomach or on their sides while sleeping might have more difficulty breathing than those placed on their backs. Also, lying down on a soft puffy mattress can block an infant’s airway. Sharing a bed with adults is also risky. Parents are advised to share same room with their baby but not same bed.
There are also some risk factors that predisposes a child to SIDS such as:
Sex: More boys die from SIDS than girls
Age: Infants are most vulnerable between second to fourth month.
Race: Nonwhite infants are more likely to develop SIDS
Family History: Babies whose siblings died of SIDS are more likely to develop it.
Premature Babies: Babies born too early or having a low birth weight are more likely to develop SIDS.
There are also maternal risk factors. A mother affects her baby’s risk of SIDS if:
– She is younger than 20
– Smokes cigarettes
– Uses drugs or alcohol
– Has inadequate prenatal care
How can SIDS be prevented?
There’s no guaranteed way to prevent SIDS but these tips might help:
– Sleeping Position: Lie the baby on his/her back instead of stomach or side.
– Remove all toys and stuffed animals from the baby’s crib and use a firm mattress.
– Don’t cover your baby’s head while sleeping, to avoid overheating the baby.
– Ensure that your baby sleeps in your room but on a separate bed for at least 6months or even 1yr.
– Breastfeed your baby for at least 6months, to lower the risk of SIDS
– Immunise your baby. Some evidence indicates that immunisation can help prevent SIDS.
Now you know about SIDS, feel free to educate others!
Ref: mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/sudden-infant-death-syndrome
