When preparing the nursery for your new arrival, adding a fan to the list of necessities may be beneficial. A fan could help to prevent Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), the number one killer of infants from one month to one year old. When placing a box fan in both of my boy’s rooms, to help drown out background noise, I didn’t realize I was helping to prevent SIDS, but thank goodness, it may have aided in the prevention of the very scary infant killer.
Researchers with Kaiser Permanente in California recently reported on their study, which involved interviews with mothers of 185 babies who died from SIDS, and 312 other infants, from 11 counties around California. According to the study, recently published in the latest issue of the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, babies who slept with a fan in their room reduced their chances of dying from SIDS by 72 percent. Researchers feel fans may help to circulate fresh air and prevent babies from suffocating by re-breathing exhaled carbon dioxide, one of the culprits many doctors feel causes SIDS. The fans seemed to provide greater protection for babies who slept in warmer environments, over 69 degrees. Opening a window and allowing fresh air to circulate around a baby’s room may also help to prevent SIDS, but it could be just coincidence, according to the study.
Since the early 1990s, infant deaths from SIDS have been cut in half, mostly due to the American Academy of Pediatrics recommendations of babies being placed to sleep on their backs rather than their bellies, a firm mattress be used, and to avoid loose bedding in a babies crib. For many years, parents were told to place their babies to sleep on their tummies, but after extensive monitoring and research, doctors and researchers feel it is better to place babies to sleep on their backs, which helps prevent babies from suffocating with their faces being pressed into the mattress. Pacifiers also seem to aid in preventing SIDS, due to the handle keeping infants faces from pressing against their mattress.
Dr. De-Kun Li, the lead researcher of the study and a reproductive and perinatal epidemiologist with Kaiser Permanente's research division, explained that young babies have weak neck muscles, which limits their ability to turn their heads and sometimes may prevent them from breathing fresh air. Even though the key step in preventing SIDS is still placing a baby on their back to sleep, extra steps such as using a fan in a baby’s room to prevent SIDS, and several other steps should be followed.
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