Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) kills about 6,000 infants every year, and nearly 10% of those deaths happen while an infant is in the care of a baby sitter. It is something that is unpreventable and unpredictable, it just happens. As a baby sitter, you really can't help it. A parent can lower the risk, but the baby sitter cannot. I am putting this in here to let all baby sitters know that SIDS does happen, and it does happen when a baby sitter is around. Below are different tips and information for baby sitters on SIDS.
What A Baby Sitter Can Do
PLACE THE INFANT ON THEIR BACK OR SIDE TO SLEEP! This is the first and most critical step in preventing SIDS.
Know CPR. If you catch the infant in time, it's possible to revive them with CPR.
If you do find the infant dead, call 911 immediatly and try to revive it. Allow the authorities to call the parents, they can explain things a lot better.
If you were around when the infant died, the police will begin an investigation. They will ask you questions, go through your history, and you will be considered a suspect. Don't freak out, though, you will most likely be cleared.
You need to go through counseling after the infant's death, the parents and family aren't the only ones affected.
If there are other siblings, you need to call a neighbor to come and get the kids. A crime scene is no place for young children.
You should check on the infant every 5-10 minutes to make sure that they are breathing normally. If you notice an irregular pattern, check on them more often and discuss it with the parents when they get home.
Never put and infant on a fluffy mattress or waterbed without supervision.
Information on SIDS
SIDS kills more infants in one year than all childhood diseases combined.
It kills about 6,000 infants a year, or about 9 each day.
The back is the best sleep position for an infant, but always ask the parents. If you are concerned and your ideas conflict with the parents, put them on their side and prop them up with blankets or towels, NEVER PILLOWS!
We do not know what causes SIDS or how to prevent it, but we do know some of the risk factors.
African American and Native American babies are at the most risk.
Infants between two and four months are at the most risk.
Boys are more at risk than girls.
For More Information
The National SIDS Resource Center- http://www.circsol.com/sids
American SIDS Institute- http://www.sids.org
On AOL- Go to Ask A Teacher, then Look Up Answers, the the Health/Medicine folder, then Clinical Medicine, then Obstetrics/Gynocology/Pediatrics, then Pediatrics: Syndromes, then SIDS.
