Having your baby sleep on his back is still the best way to reduce the risk of sudden infant death syndrome, but a new study suggests that using a fan in the room can help, too.
The study, published in October's Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, found that running a fan appears to reduce the risk of SIDS, the leading cause of death for babies 1 month to 1 year old.
The cause of SIDS remains unknown. But re-inhaling exhaled gases, such as carbon dioxide, during sleep has been identified as a possible cause.
"It is conceivable that increasing room ventilation by using a fan helps to disperse accumulated carbon dioxide ... around the nose and mouth," the study authors wrote.
Nationally, deaths from SIDS have dropped by more than half since 1992, with parents heeding doctors' recommendation to place babies on their backs to sleep. Still, an estimated 2,500 infants nationwide die each year.
The study found that, in rooms where the temperature was above 69 degrees, having a fan on lowered the odds of SIDS by 94 percent.
The research was based on a survey of 185 mothers of infants with a confirmed diagnosis of SIDS and mothers of more than 300 randomly selected infants.....more
No comments:
Post a Comment