Elliot had a rough day. Scratch that, I had a rough day! Elliot cried a lot today. He might have been gassy or something. I have some peace of mind, I spent the majority of his nap times either driving or bracing for the next round. By the evening, his voice was horse and he was exhausted. I finally go him to nurse well. Here's hoping he'll stay asleep for more than three hours. Lord knows I need the rest too.

In the way of nicknames, we're calling him 'Ek'. For Elliot Kai. It rhymes with Beck, Joshua's middle name.

The NICHD has been studying SIDS since 1974 and started its "Back to Sleep" campaign in 1991. Although this has reduced the incidence of SIDS, there is still no confirmed cause of it. The NICHD's speculation, among other organizations and researchers, is that it's caused by one of three things: lack of oxygen, overheating, or a defect in the brain. Since most people can control how their baby sleeps (tummy or back), it makes sense to advocate that change in an effort to reduce infant death. The rationale is- "If a baby is re-breathing exhaled air and not getting enough oxygen, the brain usually triggers the baby to wake up and cry. This action changes the baby's breathing and heart rate, making up for the lack of oxygen. But, a baby with a flaw in the brainstem might lack this method of protection and may be at greater risk for SIDS." [NICHD]

Back to that flawed brainstem. It suggests that babies with no brain defect (and assuming good health) can sleep on their tummy without problem. That these babies will move their heads or wake up when the body reaches a dangerous, low oxygen level. However, because we don't know which baby may or may not have a brain defect, as this idea purports, then ALL babies should be laid on their backs.

Being the rogue mother that I am, I must confess to often laying Elliot on his tummy to sleep. And have been doing so since almost birth. Usually it's while he's sleeping on my chest or stomach at night. But other times, like right now, he's sleeping soundly on his tummy. And he's still alive. I'm making the assumption that he's not defective. After talking to several mothers, both this generation and the previous, who have also laid their babies on the tummy to sleep, I'm less paranoid that I am putting him at serious risk. So we shall see.

1 comments:

Anonymous said...

Griffin refuses to sleep on his back. He has been sleeping through the night, on his tummy for a few weeks now. I did however, wait until he was able to lift and turn his head to do this and I honestly feel fine about it. I think that if you take the proper precautions (no blankets around the face etc) then it's perfectly safe!

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